A Chimera's Tale
by Mystic-Pickle
Summary: In amongst the horrors Roy Mustang and his team uncover during a raid, they discover a half-human chimera. RoyEd
1. Chapter 1

This work is a collaboration between myself and phantasy . cat. Neither of us own Fullmetal Alchemist.

_Chapter #1_

Edward peeked through the small opening, blinking anxiously at the scene unfolding before him. He was worried about the whole situation and he hadn't a clue of what to do. If only he had some sort of direction...

Leaning back and pulling his legs to his chest as another set of military boots marched by, he let out a nervous breath. No one had found him yet and he was lucky for that. He'd managed to squeeze underneath a desk when the raid had started and at some point a large crate had slid in front of it. There was still a small opening that he could peer out of but he made sure to stay away whenever someone from the military passed by.

There were lots of them. They had flooded in, taking his Master and the rest of the household completely by surprise. It was a miracle that he'd managed to go unnoticed this long since the soldiers were everywhere.

He pulled the expensive Xingese robe around himself tighter and tried to think. There had to be some way out of this situation; if he only had time to come up with it. Another opportunity like this would never come along. It would be his only chance to escape this evil place.

As for his Master and his henchmen – he could care less what happened to them. He wished that they would be condemned to suffer years of the same humiliation and torture that they had inflicted on others before dying horrible painful deaths. He hated them, his Master most of all, the man who took pleasure in his humiliation and used his body as if it were a toy to sate his carnal desires.

It was wrong to hate his Master. Edward knew that. He owed him everything – his life, his body, everything that he was and yet here he was wishing for his death.

He was a horrid ungrateful beast. His Master was right to punish him and to take pleasure from his body.

If Ed got his wish that his Master was taken into custody and he was undiscovered where else could he go? Who would take in something as loathsome as him? His Master looked after him out of the goodness of his heart. No one else would treat him even half so well.

And if the military discovered him there was no telling what cruelties he'd endure. His Master had often told him of the atrocities the army had committed and threatened to turn him over to them when he wasn't obedient.

Edward pressed his face against his bare knees as he heard his Master raise his voice, snapping at the military men.

"Ha! You fools! You have no appreciation of any of my work. Take a good look – see how beautiful it is!"

Ed heard a man close to his hiding spot mutter, "Beautiful, my ass. This looks like some kind of a horror story. Urgh."

"You are absolutely disgusting," Ed heard a man with a rich, smooth voice say. He sounded positively horrified. "What's this? A bathtub full of blood?! You call this beautiful?"

"You don't understand anything," his Master growled. "This is an art! And what better way to make Precious' skin more soft and supple? Ordinary water won't do, it must be one of the three vital fluids!"

Edward shuddered and pressed his face more firmly to his legs, wrapping the silk robe over his bare feet. He hated the pet name his Master had chosen for him – 'Precious'. Of course, he hated his baths more.

"Precious?" the same man asked again. "Who is Precious?"

Ed's ears perked up at becoming the topic of conversation. He sat up and tried to think furiously he knew time was running out.

"Precious is my favorite," his master declared proudly. "My best work of art. I put in all my effort and time into his care. And he's turned out beautifully. A true masterpiece. Something that none of _you_ would understand."

The last sentence was spat out in an angry way that made Ed flinch. He was used to hearing that tone directed at him and followed by him getting a shock from the collar around his neck. It was his Master's newest method of training him since his last escape attempt. He wore a device around his wrist that would let him punish Ed immediately and if Ed tried to leave the house there were electric wires in the walls that would give him a substantial jolt.

"Well, if he's anything like the rest of this mess…" the man with the smooth voice trailed off. Then he sharply addressed Ed's Master. "Where is Precious?"

Ed shrunk into the deepest corner under the desk as his Master spoke hesitantly, "That's a good question. I thought… Where could he have got to now?"

Edward shivered, making himself as small as possible. He pleaded silently to not be found out. He hoped that there were no clues that indicated he was hidden here. No had seen him duck down here, had they? He didn't think so. They wouldn't look under here would they?

"Last I saw him, he was over there," one of Edward's Master's men said.

His Master agreed. "Yes, I know. But then there was all this commotion. You don't think he ran away, do you?"

"Boss, he's smarter than that. If he tries to leave that collar will shock him to death. Nope, my guess would be that the little rat is hiding somewhere," his lackey answered.

"Ah, yes," His Master agreed thoughtfully.

A jolt of electricity surged through him and Edward's hand's immediately shot to cover his mouth. He tried to suppress any sound as best he could but he let out a tiny squeak. His eyes widened and he held his breath, hopping no one had heard.

"See," the man said. "He didn't even leave the room."

Ed slumped a little, the tension leaving his body. There was no doubt in his mind now that he would be found out now.

"What did you do?!" demanded the military man, his velvet voice hard with anger. "Lieutenant, I thought these men had been searched?!"

"Sorry, sir!" came the prompt reply.

"You, remove that device and the rest of you find this 'Precious' at once!" the commanding voice ordered.

"Yes sir," a chorus of other voices answered briskly and Ed could hear clipped steps head in various directions. Boxes began to be moved. Edward shrank as far back into his hiding spot as he could.

"You're never going to find him _that_ way, he's an expert at hiding. Besides," his Master chuckled. "It's hardly necessary." He was obviously undisturbed by anything that was going on. "Precious," he called softly. "Come to Master."

Ed scrambled out of hiding place as fast as he was able, pushing the crate out of his way. He only hoped he would he would be quick enough. The place was crawling with soldiers and he had to slip by one, nearly tripping over the hem of his robe in his hurry. In record time, Edward made it across the room and to his Master's side. The man was handcuffed with his hands in front of him, standing with his other lackeys bound in a similar fashion. As soon as the youth reached him, he stopped and stood as close as he could to the man, his fists tightly clutching his robe closed.

Suddenly, the room was still and everyone in it was all staring at him. Edward's guilt was there for all of them to see. He was a loathsome and disgusting creature. He hung his head in shame, laying his furry, triangular ears back. His tail lifted the back of the dressing gown as it swished back and forth nervously, his cheeks burning.

Now the outside world knew of his existence. The day that his Master had warned him about had finally come. A shiver of fear passed through him. What horrors awaited him now with the military? Would he be subjected to more transmutations? Experimentation? Maybe dissected alive? He supposed he could only hope that his death would come quickly.

"A chimera?!" the man with the smooth voice demanded in a horrified voice. "You made a child into a chimera?!"

Ed lifted his head a bit to see the man who was speaking. He was dressed in the familiar blue uniform that the rest of the soldiers were wearing but he held a definite air of authority and command. He was pale, tall and fit with short jet-black hair. His narrow dark eyes held such fury and loathing that Ed dropped his own eyes back to the ground.

"No," his Master answered.

"How can you deny it?" the handsome man with the smooth voice snapped. "This boy has a tail! Look at his ears! With all of this evidence in this laboratory, are you going to deny that he is a chimera and expect me to believe he was _born_ this way?"

Edward's Master glared at his opposition. Automatically, the boy's aforementioned ears twitched nervously. His Master was angry and that couldn't mean anything good.

"He isn't just a simple _chimera_," the man growled. "He's a _work of art_. The perfect chimera. My _ultimate_ creation. You, Colonel Mustang, as a State Alchemist should see the beauty in what I've done! Considering what he was, I did him a favor."

For a moment, Colonel Mustang, as his Master had called him, seemed at a loss for words. He just stood there seething with anger. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm but thick with rage.

"Get these monsters out of here or I can't be held responsible for what I do next."

A monster. Edward knew it was true. He was a monster and he deserved whatever happened to him. No matter how horrible.

Somehow Edward had been hoping that his Master had been wrong. Or maybe even lying. He'd hoped that others in the outside world would be able to see him, maybe not as beautiful the way his Master did, but just as a human being. Now he could see that it was impossible.

The soldiers surrounding their group and guided them towards the doors. Ed walked along beside his Master, wondering what was going to become of him.

Suddenly the smooth voice rang out behind them. "Wait!"

The group of prisoners and their guards stopped.

"Precious!" Colonel Mustang called. "Come."

Ed looked up at his Master but the man merely kept looking straight ahead and chuckled. Ed wasn't sure what he should do. The soldiers looked at him expectantly so he felt he had no choice but to obey. His stomach did a flip as he left his Master's side and the group began to move toward the door again. He wondered apprehensively what the soldier was going to do to him.

Suddenly a flashbulb went off in his face. One of the other soldiers had turned a camera on him and taken his picture. Ed twitched slightly, ears flattening and tail puffing up.

"Stop that!" the Colonel ordered.

"But sir, he's evidence," the other soldier answered.

"I'm aware of that," Mustang affirmed walking over to where the two of them stood. "Now surely you have other duties besides arguing with your commanding officer, Collins."

"Yes, sir!" the soldier agreed, giving him a sharp salute and walking off to continue his cataloguing of evidence.

Edward watched the exchange with cautious interest. The commanding officer. Indeed, the man with the camera, the guards escorting the captives out and all of the soldiers all seemed to obey this dark haired man standing before him without question. The rest of the household had obeyed his Master but there was something different about the way this man conducted himself. He was authoritative but there was no malice in it. The youth took careful note of this.

Ed flinched involuntarily as a large, warm hand was laid on his shoulder. He could feel the heat through the thin material and became intensely aware of his nudity beneath the silky robe. He looked up to find himself staring directly into a pair of dark intelligent eyes. The officer had stooped down to Ed's level. All of the anger and disgust seemed to have disappeared. Ed wondered if the man was going use him right here in front of all of these people. Is that why he had been called back? Why his Master had chuckled?

Ed swallowed hard. His Master had taken him in front of other people when he had really wanted to humiliate him, but never so many. Would they all take turns with him? His Master had never let anyone else touch him he was very possessive of him but sometimes he had threatened Ed with the prospect. It was something he had always dreaded especially with how some of his Master's men had leered at him and the jokes they'd made about him.

His heart was pounding.

"Precious, " the man said kindly. "I'm Colonel Roy Mustang. I'd like you to come with me. No one is going to hurt you. Do you understand?"

Edward nodded though he didn't believe it for a moment. His Master was always doing things to him that weren't supposed to hurt and hurt a lot, or things he was supposed to like and didn't. But any objections would only get him punished so he had no choice but to go along with it.

Satisfied with his answer, Mustang straightened up and headed to the far corner of the lab. Ed followed obediently in his wake, skirting nervously away from the other soldiers that happened to come close to him.

Everyone had resumed working. The whole room, the lab, was a mess. His Master's notes were scattered everywhere and a couple of his experiments had been completely destroyed. The soldiers appeared to be cataloguing everything.

When they got to the far side of the lab Colonel Mustang pulled out a crate and patted it. "Here, have a seat, Precious."

Ed sat down obediently. He tried not to meet the man's eye but he kept looking up out of curiosity.

"I need you to wait here for a bit," the man instructed. "Do you understand?"

Again he nodded making sure the robe was wrapped tightly around him when he sat down.

The colonel stalked off to talk to a blond haired soldier who called him over while lighting a cigarette. The two of them started talking in low tones that Ed supposed they didn't think he could here but his hearing was a lot more acute than it had been when he was human. Ed was careful not to look in their direction as he listened.

The blond haired soldier spoke first. He seemed a bit hesitant, taking a drag of his smoke before speaking. "Sir, would you like me to put the chimera with the others?"

"No, we can't do that!" the colonel said adamantly. "This chimera is half-human! And look where he's been living - bathing in blood! Who knows what else he's been through! He can stay with me!"

"Isn't that dangerous, sir? He may not be stable," the soldier objected.

Mustang chuckled. "I'm the Flame Alchemist I think I can handle a chimera one-on-one. But if it makes you feel better you can keep an eye on him."

Mustang then left the soldier to go and answer questions in another part of the lab. The soldier stayed around while he finished his cigarette. Ed didn't pay any attention to him and was careful not to do anything suspicious. He did as he was told and remained seated on the crate.

He did his best to keep his eyes down but now and again he glanced up from underneath his bangs to watch the soldiers' activity. Out of everyone the Colonel looked the busiest. He had to not only examine Edward's Master's research and direct how it was documented but he had to answer questions and give the other soldiers orders. Photographs were taken before anything could be moved and samples had to be bagged for analysis.

As he watched the colonel working with the other soldiers he couldn't help but wonder if he was his new Master. None of the other soldiers approached Ed or gave him a second glance so perhaps that meant that he was off limits to them unless Mustang gave them permission to use him. Though nobody leered at him or made lewd comments either so it was possible that they weren't interested either.

Maybe they had their own chimeras to have sex with at home. Somehow it seemed wrong even though he didn't know much about the outside world. After all that was why they had taken his Master and the others away. And when he thought back to his old life he couldn't remember any chimeras.

Just his father, mother and brother. The sudden thought of them made his chest hurt. He hugged himself and blinked back the tears that sprang to his eyes. How he missed them. To see anyone that he used to know now was impossible though he thought sadly and returned his thoughts back to the bustle around him.

Things gradually slowed down and many of the soldiers began to pack up and leave. Still, Ed obeyed the order he'd been given and stayed where he was. It wasn't until there were only a handful left that the Colonel approached him again.

"Sir?" a female voice inquired politely.

Both the Colonel and Edward turned to look at the woman approaching them. She was also dressed in that familiar blue uniform and her blond hair was done up in a bun. Her eyes were a color close to Ed's own, only with a touch of red. The youth could immediately tell that she was intelligent, focused, and sharp. A predator.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" the Colonel replied.

"Would you like me to find someone to take care of him for the night?" she asked, nodding in Edward's direction.

"No, I think I'd feel better if he's with me," the man said with a kind smile and a shake of his head. "Besides Investigation will probably be here first thing tomorrow and it will save time if he's already with me."

The Lieutenant nodded. "Are you taking him back to your hotel room then, sir?"

"Yes. I'm ready to call it a night," he said good-naturedly. "You should do the same." The Colonel turned back to Ed. "Come, Precious," he ordered and Ed stood.

"Goodnight then, sir," the woman said.

"Same to you, Lieutenant Hawkeye," the man nodded and then began walking in the direction of the door.

Edward followed, glancing back at the woman briefly. Her name was Hawkeye? How surprisingly fitting. He turned back, keeping his eyes on the broad back of the man in front of him.

The youth followed Mustang apprehensively until they reached the foyer and he saw the doors that led to the world outside of his Master's home. His shock collar. He couldn't leave as long as it was still around his neck.

The Colonel walked up to the double doors, opened one and held it open for Ed. But the youth stopped a few steps away. Any further and he knew he would suffer. The man noticed the boy's hesitation.

"What's the matter?" the Colonel asked.

Edward wasn't sure if he was allowed to answer verbally. His Master had never liked it if he spoke without permission. He wasn't sure what the rules were now so he reached up and grabbed onto his shock collar, hopping to convey what he meant.

The man stared at him for a moment blankly and then realized the problem. "Of course! The collar! I had completely forgotten…"

The Colonel stepped back inside and stooped down to examine the youth's collar. Edward's ears automatically flattened themselves and he leaned back uncertainly. He watched the Colonel's face his brows knit in concentration, his dark grey eyes intense. Ed could smell the musky scent of masculinity and feel the heat of his breath. He was surprised to find he enjoyed it.

Being this close to his Master had always disgusted Edward. He'd always smelled of acrid sweat, foul chemicals, blood and death. More often than not his breath reeked of rank alcohol and old food. The stench of his hot, heavy body on top of him turned his stomach and made him feel like he was going to smother.

"There!" the man said, holding the shock collar out with a triumphant look on his face.

He smiled at the youth before ruffling Ed's hair unexpectedly. The boy made a face, not sure how he felt about it. He put a hand that wasn't holding his robe closed up to his bare throat. It felt exposed and vulnerable.

"Now, let's go," the Colonel said, pushing the door open with the hand that was holding the shock collar.

The man let out a sharp cry when the collar gave him a powerful shock. Ed jumped back, eyes going wide as saucers, ears flattening to his skull and his tail fluffing up. He'd half been expecting it but the youth still couldn't help but imagine how it would have felt if he'd attempted to walk out the door with it around his neck. The colonel swore and tossed the collar aside.

"Son of a bitch!" the man exclaimed examining his hand briefly. He turned to look at Ed. "And you had that things around your neck?! What a _bastard_! I'll have that man's head, I swear!"

Even though Edward knew that the man's anger wasn't directed at him, it frightened him anyway. His ears stayed down and his tail curled around his ankle slightly. He watched the man with wide nervous eyes.

Once the Colonel was done his cursing, he opened the front door again and called Ed. The youth followed him and, for the first time in years, he found himself standing outside.

The air was crisp, cold and fresh. He'd never smelled anything so wonderful! Ed could barely remember what snow looked like and seeing it for the first time in so long made his heart leap. Some part of him wanted to rejoice in his freedom, roll in the snow and make wild gestures and noises. However, dressed as he was; nude and barefoot with only an expensive silk robe covering him, he merely stared around in wonder at the soft whiteness surrounding them.

"Colonel!" a voice called. "Hey, Colonel! Over here!"

It was a voice Ed recognized. He glanced over to see the blond soldier standing not too far away next to a parked car. He still had a cigarette hanging from his lips.

"Havoc!" the Colonel greeted him, a small smile quirking his lips. He scooped Edward up into his arms princess style and strode over to the man and his vehicle. "I assume that the First Lieutenant made you fetch the car for us."

"You know her – always ahead of the rest of us," Havoc responded with a chuckle. Then his gaze fell on Ed and his expression became more serious. "This is the chimera from before, right?"

"Precious," the dark haired man responded with nod. "I'm taking him to the hotel tonight. Investigations will probably want to see him first thing."

"Probably for the best then," Havoc agreed.

"Come on, Precious," the Colonel said as he set him inside. "In you go."

The inside of the car was warm and there was the faint smell of gasoline. The Colonel got in next to him and Edward felt comforted by the additional warmth and bulk next to him in the dark. The front door of the car opened briefly as Havoc got in and took the wheel. Soon they were driving along the lights of streets and buildings passing by. When he glanced out the window Edward was pleased to note that it was snowing, the tiny white flakes flashing by the glass in a blur.

Even though it was rather late in the evening, the hotel was still rather active with all of the military personnel returning from the mission. Havoc wrapped Edward up in his great coat and carried him to Mustang's room while the Colonel went to the tavern to order food.

The idea of eating made Edward's mouth water especially since he could smell the cooking as soon as they entered the building. He hadn't had anything to eat since his breakfast. He was a bit nervous being left alone in this strange room with this blond soldier who smelled like smoke.

A strange room with only a dresser, a chair and a bed.

The setting seemed to suggest that they would be having sex with him but Havoc just sat in the chair and smoked. He didn't talk to Ed or try to approach him so Ed sat on the bed and waited too, clutching his robe closed. He was confused. What was going to happen to him?

It seemed an eternity to Ed but finally the Colonel returned with a tray of food. The most delicious smells filled the room. Ed swallowed hard praying with all his heart that there would be some scraps left for him to scavenge. Or that perhaps they would have him do tricks and reward him with food. He hoped he wouldn't have to work too hard to please them.

He was surprised that Havoc got ready to leave as soon as Mustang got back. The colonel asked him to stay but he said he'd made other plans with his comrades.

"Well, more food for us then, eh Precious?" the colonel said playfully, closing the door behind his subordinate.

Ed hardly dared hope that it could be true when Mustang handed him a bowl of hot stew off of the tray he'd set down on the dresser. He even handed him a spoon. Ed looked at it in amazement. How long had it been since he had been allowed to use silverware?

The officer took a bowl and spoon for himself as well. He noticed Ed's fascination with the spoon but misinterpreted the reason. "It's a spoon," he said and demonstrated how to use it by taking a spoonful of stew.

Ed couldn't help but smile to himself as he dug enthusiastically into his supper.

Between the two of them they managed to finish off all of the food in a short amount of time. Ed couldn't remember when he had had a meal that delicious. He had tried to lick his bowl clean but Mustang hadn't liked it. Up until now the Colonel hadn't punished him for anything so he hadn't wanted to push his luck.

Mustang gathered up all the dishes and set them on the tray outside the door of their room. He locked the door then walked over to where Edward sat on the bed looking at him intensely. Edward wanted to squirm under the man's piercing gaze but instead he bit his lip, ears and tail twitching slightly.

But when he spoke the colonel's voice was gentle, "Precious, stand up."

Edward obeyed, his heart pounding. Even when he was on his feet the man loomed over him. Edward looked up at him nervously. When he was standing next to Mustang, his head didn't quite reach the man's shoulder. The colonel was taller and more muscular than him and there was no doubt in Edward's mind that he could hurt him if he felt so inclined.

Why was he looking at him like that? Did Mustang want to have sex with him now? Edward let go of the front of his robe and dropped his hands to his sides. He decided whatever it was the man wanted he would do his best to please him and not fight him.

He didn't know if he would know how to please him. He had only belonged to his Master and his Master was the only one who'd taken him to bed.

The thought of being intimate with this tall, dark stranger was surprisingly appealing to Edward. He'd learned to take some pleasure from his Master when they'd been together and this man, this Colonel… Ed liked him. He was nice. He smelled nice. And he was handsome. Edward owed him, for freeing him. For taking him outside. For feeding him and treating him like a person. It made sense to repay him in some way and the youth only had his body to offer up.

The man stood before him, his eyes studying Edward and the youth felt his cheeks beginning to heat up. He didn't know why, but with a stare that intent fixed on him and thoughts of sex going through his mind, the blood just began to rush to his face. And to his groin as well. He could feel himself getting hard.

"A chimera," Mustang mused. "A human animal cross. This is the first time I've ever heard of a successful combination of the two, though I'm not sure how many have tried… So how much is human and how much is animal I wonder?"

Edward's stomach dropped in disappointment. The man's thoughts appeared to be purely scientific.

Mustang continued. "The majority of you appears to be human, at least physically. The ears and tail aside, that is. But what about mentally? I could imagine that sick bastard leaving you with the brain of an animal," the man said but then stopped and blinked. "Wait. Precious, look at me."

Edward did as commanded. He looked at the man uncertainly.

"Do you understand what I'm saying to you?" Mustang asked.

Ed nodded uncertainly. The man expression became intent and he licked his lips.

"Good. That's good, Precious," he said. "But if there was some way to be sure…" He seemed to stop and consider the problem for a moment. "Okay, we're going to play a game. I'll name something in this room and you go and touch it, alright?"

Again, Ed nodded.

"Bed."

Ed touched the bed.

"Window."

Ed went to the window.

Mustang proceeded to name everything in the room, including himself and Edward before he was thoroughly satisfied that Ed understood what he was saying. Ed really didn't get the point of the game but he was happy to humor the Colonel.

Then Mustang had him sit down on the bed and faced him solemnly. "Now, Precious. I want you to try something. It may be difficult for you but will you try?" he asked the youth earnestly.

Curious as to what he wanted him to try, Ed nodded.

"Okay," the Colonel said and licked his lips. "Try saying Mus-tang." He pronounced each syllable distinctly.

"Mus-tang." Ed repeated.

The colonel frowned slightly. "Try saying Precious."

"Precious," said Edward.

"You can talk," Mustang said without expression.

Ed nodded.

Mustang frowned at him in confusion. "Then why haven't you said anything before this?" he asked, obviously put out.

Edward looked at him, opened his mouth and then closed it again. He wasn't allowed to speak unless his Master gave him permission. He wasn't sure how to convey this without speaking but, then again, his Master was gone and Ed's shock collar had been removed. And the Colonel wanted answers. The man seemed nice and Ed didn't _think_ he would punish him for speaking.

Mustering up the courage, Ed began in a tiny, quiet voice, "I'm not allowed to speak unless my Master gives me permission."

The odd look that Mustang gave him cause Ed to blush and look away. The man probably thought he was an idiot. Or maybe he was angry at Ed for speaking now that he knew that the youth wasn't normally allowed to. He glanced back to Colonel when the man let out a snort.

"Well, I'm your Master now," the man declared boldly. "So you're allowed to speak. If I ask you a question I'd like you to answer. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Edward said, averting his eyes from the Colonel.

"Now that has been resolved, we'd better get to bed and to sleep. It's going to be another long day tomorrow. I'll give you a t-shirt to sleep in. I'm having some clothes brought over for you tomorrow morning so we'll have to make do for now," the Colonel instructed. He peeled off his military jacket walking over to the dresser. He pulled out a plain white T-shirt and threw it to Ed.

He caught it and as he got ready for bed he considered his change in fortune. He now had the answer to his question. This Colonel Mustang was now his Master and it was Edward's duty to do everything in his power to please him.


	2. Chapter 2

This work is a collaboration between myself and phantasy . cat. Neither of us own Fullmetal Alchemist.

_Chapter #2_

Roy's heart was pounding with the rush of adrenaline that always came before the ambush. In the war he'd stormed countless buildings this way. Now in these cases that were too big for the police to handle it was his duty to take charge and lead the way.

Gloves on and ready to snap at any moment, he gave the signal.

The doors burst open and he and his troops spilled through them. They were in an enormous warehouse. It was dark and cluttered with ominous transmutation circles on the walls, papers and lab equipment was strewn everywhere. There didn't seem to be anyone there but Roy knew better.

Silently he directed his men along either side of the large room. They disappeared into the shadows of the paraphernalia while he moved forward. They would go to the back of the warehouse and move forward to surround the culprit but he would confront this monster directly.

After all, he was the Flame Alchemist.

He crept forward cautiously. Straight ahead he could see a bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling. Beneath it there was a large old-fashioned steel bathtub with a high back. He couldn't see inside it but the sight of it gave him a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Inexplicably he was drawn forward. Whatever was in the bathtub no matter how horrible he just had to look.

Then he nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a slender warm hand snake its way into his pants.

Roy whirled around and there stood Riza. His eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. She was completely nude. He was speechless for a moment as his eyes roamed over her delectable body. Of course it didn't help that her hand was still inside his pants massaging him.

"Riza!" he finally exclaimed shocked. "What are you doing?"

Why had she shown up to the raid nude?

This wasn't like Riza at all. Although he couldn't really say he objected to her attire or the way she seemed to be so expertly fondling him, surely she must know this wasn't the time or place.

"I'm having a bath, of course," she said demurely cupping his balls and giving them a little squeeze.

Roy looked behind him. There was a pink bathtub filled with water and soft bubbles. They were in Riza's bathroom! How could he have made this mistake and brought them on a raid to Riza's house! At any moment the others might break in.

"Why don't you join me Roy?" she said with a wry smile looking up at him with half-lidded eyes. Her hand encircled his now hard length and began to stroke him.

He swallowed hard. "Alright," he agreed, since his clothes had now conveniently disappeared anyway. Raid be damned! They could handle it without him.

"But first let's look after this, shall we?" Riza asked coyly getting down on her knees in front of him. She gave his hardness a long tantalizing lick. Her tongue had an unexpected but delicious roughness to it and he groaned in pleasure.

He didn't think there could be anything more wonderful until Riza took him into her mouth. She sucked on the head while pulling the skin tight against the base of his cock, then stopped and swirled her tongue across the head. The intensity of it drove him half-mad and he thrust his hips forward.

His eyes flew open.

He was staring at a ceiling but not his own. A hotel then.

And judging from the sucking noises and the attention still be being lavished on his cock he had a lover with him.

Mustang's eyes moved downward.

The first thing he noticed was the blond hair and for one tiny, fleeting millisecond he wondered if it really _was_ Riza in bed with him. Then he noticed those soft, triangular, feline ears and the events from the night before came crashing back to him. The raid. The horrors of the basement laboratory. Precious, the human chimera. A human chimera that was currently sucking him off.

Roy sat up abruptly with a yelp and pushed Precious away before scrambling out of bed. For a moment he stood there panting, looking down at the boy who stared back up at him with wide, golden eyes. He glanced down, realizing that his pajama bottoms were still pulled down. Hastily he tugged them back up and stuffed himself back inside.

"Wh-what the hell was that?!" Mustang snapped.

Precious' cat-like ears flattened themselves to his head and his whole body shrank back from Roy when he spoke. The boy looked terrified of him and the look made Mustang's stomach turn unpleasantly.

"I…I was just trying to pleasure you," Precious responded in a tiny, nervous voice. "I thought…. You… I didn't mean to displease you, Master. I'm sorry. Please don't be angry with me."

"I'm not angry with you…" Mustang began hesitantly, trying to speak calmly. The boy was obviously afraid of his reaction. But why would he do such a thing? Was this the animal side of the child coming through? Or did this have to do with the boy calling him Master? Fuck, he didn't want to have to deal with this right now though. "You…surprised me. That's all. I…was having a nightmare."

Precious tilted his head down so that he could look up uncertainly at Mustang through his bangs. Roy had a sour taste in his mouth. As much as he didn't want to, he should talk to the boy and explain to him that what he had been doing was unacceptable. But where to start? Letting out a breath, Mustang sat down on the bed beside him. Precious scooted away from him slightly.

Roy cleared his throat before asking, "Have…you done that sort of thing before?"

The boy nodded. "For my other Master. It pleased him to be pleasured in the morning," he replied shyly. Then a thought seemed to occur to him. "Was I doing it badly?"

"No, no. It…" Mustang trailed off before covering his face with his hands.

Oh God, the night before he had told the boy he was his Master. That must be why… He couldn't deal with this right now. He just couldn't. He placed his hands in his lap and turned to the boy. "Listen. I'm going to have a shower. Stay here, alright?"

Precious nodded, fiddling with the edge of the shirt Roy had borrowed him. Mustang stood and went to the bathroom. He closed the door behind himself. He dropped to his knees beside the toilet and vomited.

He wiped his mouth with a bit of tissue and flushed the mess away.

How old was Precious? Eleven? Twelve at the most? Far too young to be sexually active. But Mustang had woken up to the boy's mouth on his cock and Precious had admitted that he'd done similar things with his 'Master'.

What else had Precious been forced to do? And for how long? It was all so wrong.

The boy's so-called Master, Cassius Basan, was a certifiable freak. Roy had been inside the man's house, seen his notes and all of the chimera he'd created. And though Mustang would admit that he was an extremely talented alchemist who could easily put Shou Tucker to shame, he obviously had no morals. There didn't seem to be any limit to the repulsive things the man would do.

Now Precious thought that Roy would be Basan's replacement. He tasted bile at the back of his throat.

He showered quickly, trying to keep his mind on the task at hand. Once he'd towel dried himself, he pulled on his pajama bottoms and exited the bathroom.

Precious was right where he left him, obediently sitting on the bed.

Up until last night Roy had always been of the opinion that chimera were abominations, crimes against nature, horrible creatures that shouldn't exist. Indeed, any that he had been exposed to only reaffirmed his belief.

Now in the light of day standing in his hotel room Mustang had to say he had somewhat of a different opinion. He would _almost_ have to call the boy…cute.

The triangular, cat-like ears stuck out a little higher up than where his normal ears should have been and they were the same golden-blond color of his hair. The boy's tail, though Mustang couldn't see the exact place where it connected to his body, was approximately a meter in length and it was also the same color as his hair and ears. It swished back and forth across the surface of the bed.

And the boy himself was good looking. Mustang couldn't help but wonder idly if Precious' eyes were naturally gold or if that was something else that he'd acquired from whatever animal he'd been combined with.

He looked so forlorn and pathetic sitting on the bed looking wide-eyed and apprehensive at him that Roy's heart went out to him. He wanted to protect him and soothe away all of the horrors he had lived through. He was so young and helpless. Roy wanted nothing more than to sit next to him on the bed, give him a friendly hug to let him know everything was going to be okay. But thanks to that bastard Basan the boy would probably think he was coming on to him.

So instead he did nothing.

He directed his gaze away from Precious and made his way over to his luggage. Finding his clothes he dressed quickly, feeling a little embarrassed. The boy was watching him and he couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious. He knew he was a bit thin and Hughes teased him occasionally about not eating enough. Once he had his uniform on, however, he felt much more confidant.

He turned back to Precious and frowned slightly. The boy's ears immediately flicked downwards. The reaction made Roy want to frown more but he fought the urge relaxing his face into what he hoped was a neutral expression.

This was going to be a lot of work. Also the kid needed clothes and right now, more importantly, Roy owed him a bit of an explanation. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a sudden knock at the door.

He heaved a sigh and crossed the room. He opened the door only to be faced with Maes Hughes' daughter, Elysia.

Correction. A photograph of Maes Hughes' daughter, Elysia.

"Isn't she _adorable_!!!" the man holding the pictures at Roy's eye level began.

"Hughes, there's a little something called 'personal space' that I would like you to look up," Mustang said as he swatted the photograph, and the hand holding it, away from his face. The man smiled at him and pocketed the picture. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"My job," Hughes responded and his expression became serious. "And you missed Elicia's birthday party, Roy. How could you?" Then he grinned. "Oh, well! We'll just have to go over the pictures together!"

Roy sighed again, opening the door a little wider. "Yeah, yeah. I hear you. Come on in."

Maes was walking through the door almost before Roy had invited him. Mustang shook his head as he closed it. He turned to look at his friend and noticed that the man's gaze had fallen on Precious. He opened his mouth to speak but again without knowing it, Hughes interrupted.

"Hey, there!" he said, his voice surprisingly casual for someone talking to a human chimera. He came over and plopped down on the bed beside the boy, whose ears immediately folded back. "My name's Maes Hughes. I'm a Lieutenant Colonel – head of Investigations. And you are?"

The gold eyes darted to Roy who was watching the exchange curiously before quickly returning to the man on the bed next to him. He replied in a soft, timid voice, "Precious."

"Precious?" Hughes repeated. "That's your name?"

"It's what my Master called me…" the boy responded hesitantly.

Ever the sharp one, Maes asked, "So what's your real name then?"

Mustang blinked. The boy's real name? The Colonel himself hadn't considered that he had a name other than Precious. Now he felt stupid. Who in their right mind would call their kid that of all things? Of course he had another name. Roy waited eagerly for his response.

"I'm…" he began hesitantly. "My name... Before my Master named me…I was called Edward."

"Nice to meet you then!" Hughes exclaimed, ruffling the boy's hair. Precious – or rather - Edward made a bit of a face at that and his eyes darted to Mustang again.

"Give him a bit of air, Maes," Roy began, sensing that the boy was asking for him help.

"Hey, I'm giving him his 'personal space'," the man argued. "And doing my job at the same time. Don't get all prickly, Roy. He can help with this investigation. That Cassius guy and his lackeys are surprisingly tight lipped and we need proper evidence. I was up early checking everything out."

"So you want to talk to Pre- Edward now?" Mustang asked, frowning.

"The sooner the better, don't you think?" Hughes answered. "We'll take things slow. Okay?"

The question was directed at Edward who had lowered his head at Roy's frown. He was watching their exchange through the curtain of bangs.

"Will you talk to Hughes?" Roy asked the boy remembering to smile at him. "You don't have to answer his questions if you don't want to but I'd like it if you did."

The boy nodded and seemed to relax.

"So, Edward, do you have a last name?" Maes asked.

"Elric."

"Good. That's very helpful. Mind if I write this down? Sometimes I have trouble remembering things," the man asked pulling out a notepad.

The youth shook his head and Hughes started taking notes as he continued, "Okay. So how long have you been living with Cassius?"

"Fours years, I think," Ed responded.

Roy felt his stomach do a flip. That sick psycho was going to get burned to a crisp when their paths crossed next.

"Hmmmm…" Hughes mused. "So that makes you how old?"

"I turned sixteen a few days ago," Ed answered shyly picking at some non-existent lint on the sheets beneath him.

Mustang's jaw dropped. _Sixteen_?! The youth hardly looked… He could be lying but he had no reason to. So…he was really sixteen? He gave his head a bit of a shake in amazement.

"Wow. No offence but you don't look it," Maes commented.

"I know. I…I've always…I've always sort of been a bit…um…diminutive…" the youth responded, flushing a little. "And Master… Master Cassius, that is. He… The transmutation didn't help."

"The transmutation? You mean when he turned you into a chimera?" Hughes asked.

"Yes. It's couldn't be helped. The cat wasn't very big and it…it was a hard for Master Cassius to fix me be-…because I…I was flawed," Edward stammered as he fought with his emotions.

"You were flawed?" Maes inquired kindly. "How?"

The boy shook his head. "I'm not anymore. Master fixed me," Edward stated firmly, averting his eyes and avoiding the question. "Well, I'm still flawed but…but… It's different."

"Yes, but what were your flaws?" insisted Maes.

The youth didn't answer right away. Edward pressed his lips together tightly and his left hand came up to grip his right shoulder, though the action seemed to be done without thought. "My Master said I don't have to answer you," he said looking up at Roy for affirmation.

Hughes was confused. "Cassius said you…?"

"He means me, Maes. I'm his Master," Roy interjected. His friend looked up at him surprised. "I'll explain later."

"Ah, okay then," Maes continued returning his attention to Ed. "What about before you met Cassius?"

"Before?" the youth repeated looking up a Hughes in surprise.

"Yeah. I mean, you said that you were only with him for four years. You had a home and a life before you went to live with him," he reasoned.

"Sort of," Edward began hesitantly. "I…I don't know what you want me to say though."

"I don't want you to say anything," Maes responded with a warm smile. "We're just talking, getting to know one another. Why don't you tell me about your family?"

The youth looked down, bangs covering his eyes. His shoulders became tense. Again he became interested in the surface of the bed as he spoke, his voice thick with emotion. "I had a brother, a mother, and a long time ago I had a father too."

"And where did you live? What town?"

"Resembool."

"That's kind of out East, isn't it? Surrounded by lots of farm land, right?" Hughes asked smiling. "I heard its really pretty; lots of fields and meadows."

Edward shrugged noncommittally. "I can't remember too well. I left when I was twelve."

"That's a pretty young age to leave home. Why did you go?"

The question seemed to affect Edward greatly. His hands balled up into fists and he bit his bottom lip. Roy didn't think he could take it if Edward actually broke down. He reached out and squeezed his friend's shoulder meaningfully.

"Like Roy said; you don't have to answer if you don't want to talk about it," Maes said. "How about I tell you a bit about myself?"

Edward glanced up at him through his bangs. Then he nodded stiffly.

Hughes grinned, fishing around in his pocket for a moment before pulling out a handful of photographs. He scooted closer to Edward and they began to look at the pictures together.

"This is my wife Gracia and this is my daughter Elysia," the man began enthusiastically. "Actually, my daughter had a birthday just a few days ago, like you! Only she just turned four. Isn't she cute? Look, I have a picture of her in her birthday dress and in this one she's just opening her first present! Ooooh, and _this_ one…"

There was a knock at the door and Mustang answered it, leaving Edward and Hughes to look at pictures. He opened the door wide and was pleased and surprised to find First Lieutenant Hawkeye at the door, a large paper bag in hand. Roy couldn't help but recall the dream he'd been having before he'd woken up. He smiled at her. His day was definitely improving.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" Roy inquired genially. He wondered if she was surprised to find him up and dressed already. And if she was, would she be happy about it or disappointed?

"Here are the items that you requested, sir," she said, holding the bag out to him. As always she was the total professional, giving no clue to his unanswered question.

"Very good," he replied taking it from her. What was it he had requested again? Curiosity got the better of him and he peeked inside.

"I brought clothes for the chimera, sir," she explained when he opened the bag.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Roy said grinning, now sure that she had come trying to catch him coming out of the shower. That excuse was just too convenient.

"It was no trouble at all, Colonel," Riza responded. "Will you be needing anything else?"

Roy was loath to let her go. "Would you be so kind as to order breakfast for us?" he inquired. "We haven't had time yet since we've been _working_ since we got up." He emphasized the word, sighed and tried to look hungry.

The hint of a smile played around Riza's lips but Roy couldn't quite be sure. Just the thought of successfully breaking through the business-like façade made his heart soar. "Of course, sir. What would you like?"

Mustang knew Hughes would've eaten already. He wasn't sure what Precio…Edward liked but if he was hungry he could just eat what Roy did. "Two plates of bacon and eggs, two coffee and a glass of orange juice should do it," he said.

Hawkeye nodded. "Right away, sir."

Roy closed the door with a sigh. He walked over to the bed where Hughes and the youth were looking at photographs. He set the bag down on the bed beside the boy. Edward looked up at him questioningly.

"They're clothes," Roy explained. "If you can escape Hughes for a minute, I'd like it if you could get dressed. We have things to do today and you can't walk around in nothing but one of my shirts."

The youth nodded and tentatively peered into the bag.

"Good idea, Roy," agreed his friend. "I wanted to go back and go over some evidence with the two of you. Best to get our day started, hey?" Hughes gave a friendly wink to the youth. "Now let's see what kind of clothes Hawkeye brought for you."

Edward eyed them both for a moment uncertainly before removing the bag's contents. There was a long sleeved, button up shirt, a pair of baggy pants, some socks, a pair of shoes, underwear, and a hat. Roy couldn't help but smile a little. Riza had selected a perfect assortment of clothing.

"Should I put them on?" the youth asked Mustang, ears twitching.

"Yes," Roy said. "Once we're done breakfast I would like to get going. You can change in the bathroom."

Edward nodded, scooping the clothing into his arms. He slipped off the bed and headed across the room. The man watched him go. Though lithe and graceful, the boy was too thin and then he couldn't help but notice just above the youth's left knee there was a large, ugly scar that seemed to circle all the way around his leg.

"Edward!" called Roy.

The youth stopped and looked back at him, tail swishing. It lifted the back of the T-shirt so that Mustang could just make out the curve of his buttocks.

"I'm sorry but I couldn't help but notice," Roy began trying not to be distracted. "Your left leg… What happened?"

Edward looked down as though unsure of what the man was talking about but then he caught sight of the scar. He looked back to Mustang and flushed.

"I…I did something stupid," he explained. "I'd rather not…rather not talk about it…"

"Alright," Mustang said. "Go and get dressed then."

Edward looked a little surprised at his words but turned and slipped into the bathroom, closing the door behind himself.

"Cute kid," Maes commented as the door clicked shut. "I feel bad for him."

"Yeah," Roy agreed. "I wonder if the process is irreversible?"

"You'd know the answer to that better than I would," admitted Hughes. "So tell me, what's this about being his Master?"

Roy suddenly felt tired and sat down on the bed next to his friend. "We found him during the raid on the lab last night," he started to explain. "He must have hid when we broke in and he didn't come out until everything was secure. There was a bathtub full of blood – that sick bastard was going to bathe him in it! And the rest of the lab…" He covered his face with his hands as if it could block out the memory from the night before.

Hughes patted his friend's shoulder. "I know, Roy," he said. "I read the report and talked to Havoc and some of the others already."

Mustang rubbed at his eyes and then lowered his hands. "Well you've seen Edward. Cassius and his goons…all of those deformed monsters – he was the only one in the place with a spark of humanity! I couldn't put him in lock-up or with those other horror stories Basan made!" Roy went on. "I wanted to make sure he was really safe and okay. I felt like it was the least I could do."

Roy stood up and continued talking. "The whole time he hadn't said a word though, and when I brought him back here I found out he could talk but only with his Master's permission. So I told him I was his Master and gave him permission."

"Roy, I don't think that was a very good idea," cautioned Maes.

He laughed hollowly. "In more ways than one," Roy said to Hughes, his gaze intense. "Apparently, Edward and his last so-called 'Master' had a sexual relationship."

Maes made a disgusted face and shook his head. "We'll have to take him to a doctor. Or maybe a vet. Most people won't believe a human chimera is possible."

Their conversation was interrupted by Edward. The bathroom door opened slowly and he stepped out dressed in his new clothes. Though his pants were a little low on his hips, his shoes were on the wrong feet, and his ears and tail were out in the open – he almost looked like a normal boy. The youth seemed a little uncertain about his new set of clothing and his hat was in his hands, being fiddled with nervously. Hughes chuckled and beckoned the boy over, making him sit down on the bed next to him.

"Here," Maes said, getting down in front of the youth. He removed Ed's shoes and put them on the proper feet before lacing them up again. "There, that's better. Now, we'd better do something about those ears and tail. Can't have you walking around, showing off the fact that you're a chimera, can we?"

"No…?" the youth responded uncertainly and Maes ruffled his hair.

"Of course not! Now, can you stand up for a minute?"

Edward complied and Hughes looked him over for a second before speaking again.

"How about we tuck your tail into one of your pant legs," the man suggested, moving to stand behind the youth who looked back at him, ears going turning down.

"I'll do it," Ed ward said, turning so that Maes wasn't standing behind him. He grabbed hold of his tail and tucked it into his pants adjusting himself slightly so it was hidden from sight.

"Good!" Hughes said with a grin, grabbing a hold of the waistband of Edward's pants. He pulled them up a little and the youth gave him a look of suspicion. "Now we just have to cover those ears and no one would even guess that you were a chimera!"

Ed's eyes widened slightly at that statement.

"Yes, but his ears aren't going to fit under that hat. Here," Roy said, taking a step closer to the youth. Now it was his turn to help disguise the boy. "Could you fold your ears back for me?"

Edward did as he was asked. Mustang arranged his hair so that it hung over the youth's ears. It was lucky that the blond locks were so long. Once he was satisfied with the arrangement, he put the hat on him so that Edward's hair wouldn't, hopefully, move to expose his ears.

"Alright, now try twitching your ears for me," Roy said and as the youth did so, his hair moved a bit but stayed covering the triangular, feline ears. "There! Perfect."

The corners of Edward's lips twitched upward, forming a tiny smile. Mustang smiled back.

"Aww!" Hughes began suddenly. "He so cute! He looks like a newspaper boy with that hat on! Oh, if only I had my camera!"

"I'm glad you don't," Roy snorted with a shake of his head. There was a knock on the door and he turned to get it. "That's probably Lieutenant Hawkeye with breakfast."

It was breakfast but not Lieutenant Hawkeye. She'd sent up room service. Both Edward and Maes were very appreciative and enthusiastic about that fact though Roy himself was rather disappointed.


	3. Chapter 3

This work is a collaboration between myself and phantasy . cat. Neither of us own Fullmetal Alchemist.

_Chapter #3_

They were going back to the mansion. His new Master had assured Edward that he would be perfectly safe but the youth couldn't suppress his feelings of dread. The men in the car talked over top of him about evidence and investigations. He stared down at his tightly clenched fists in his lap and tried to take comfort from the presence of the large warm body next to him.

But Ed had failed to pleasure his Master that morning. He didn't know what he'd done wrong. Cassius had always said sex was the only thing he was any good for so it worried Edward that he hadn't been able to please the Colonel. Perhaps his new Master thought that taking Ed had been a mistake and was returning him to Basan.

He tried to look for some kind of a clue. He looked up at the man sitting beside him shyly. He wasn't paying any attention to Edward. His intent black eyes were focused on the other soldier who had shown Ed pictures of his family. Neither his Master nor his friend seemed to be angry with him. He had honestly tried to do what they asked and answer their questions but it had been very hard. Was it enough?

Ed dropped his eyes back into his lap. He unclenched his fists and ran his hands over the unfamiliar material of his pants. They had dressed him up in these clothes and told him he didn't even look like a chimera! Surely they wouldn't have done that if they just intended to bring him back and leave him. It would've made more sense to just put him back in his robe.

And his Master had smiled at Ed a few times. It was a kind smile and Ed couldn't help but want to see it more. It had been so long since anyone had been kind to him.

He looked outside the frosted window, remembering the first time he'd made this trip and how it had all started.

* * *

Edward stood in the middle of Central's train station uncertainly.

The train ride had gone well but now he wasn't sure what to do. Central City was huge compared to Resembool, and he felt lost especially without his younger brother at his side.

He glanced around, hoping that this Cassius Basan guy wouldn't be too hard to spot. He'd said that he would pick Ed up at the train station. The boy wondered if he should stand somewhere in particular or if where he was right now was good enough.

Edward had come across Cassius Basan's name when he and Al had been doing research on how to restore their bodies. Many of the accomplished alchemists seemed to think the man was a crackpot but Edward had read a few of his papers and the work he was doing looked like it might be promising. The youth took a chance and had started writing letters to him. But he hadn't told Alphonse.

At first Ed didn't want to get his little brother's hopes up. If it turned out that this Basan guy couldn't help them he didn't think he could stand to see Al's hopes get crushed yet again. Ed had written the man saying that he wanted to restore his limbs. The alchemist had agreed to see him if he kept it in strict confidence. He had gone along with it and then it had seemed wrong to tell Al after that.

It was only right that he look into the matter thoroughly. After all, everything was Ed's fault in the first place. He'd been the one who talked Al into trying to restore their mother now Al was suffering for it. This time Ed would take the risk alone and keep his brother safe.

Though that hadn't been easy. It had taken Edward just about everything he had to force his brother into staying home. Alphonse didn't know about Cassius and until he knew the man wasn't really some kind of nutcase, Ed would rather it stayed that way. When he got back he'd explain everything to Al and apologize.

Ed smiled to himself imagining Al's and Winry's reactions if he actually came home with his body restored.

Everyone around him seemed to tower over him making it difficult for him to see anything. He almost got run over a couple times by some ignorant assholes and Edward was beginning to get irritated. Soon he was biting his lip to hold himself back from yelling at people.

"Edward Elric?" A voice asked from behind him and Ed turned around.

It was a middle-aged man dressed in a suit that had a worn look about it. He was out of shape and had a pasty look about him like he spent too much time in-doors. His hair was short and brown in color and he might have passed for unremarkable except for his eyes. They were a pale green but they shone oddly. They were glassy and bright as if he had a fever.

"Um… Yeah," the youth responded. "And I guess that would make you…Cassius Basan?"

"Yes," the man answered smiling thinly and extending a hand.

Ed took it and gave it a firm shake. "Pleased to meet you," he said.

"My apologies for being late," Cassius said smoothing his hair back with one hand. "One of my pets was giving me some grief."

"It's fine," Ed shrugged, his irritation dissipating. Now that the guy had actually showed up he was impatient to be on his way. He picked up his suitcase and the two of them began to walk.

"I live a little out of Central, about an hour and a half drive," the man said looking down at him with those intense eyes. "I hope you don't mind."

"No, that's fine," Ed answered. "Are we going by car then?"

"Yes," Casius responded. "My vehicle isn't far."

Edward smiled to himself. He'd just gotten his first train ride and now he was about to get his first car ride. Winry was going to be _so_ jealous of him. He would have to tell her all about it when he got back.

"Thanks for all this," Ed said, looking up at the man. "You're really going out of your way."

"Oh, it's not a problem," Cassius responded with a dismissive wave. "You'd be surprised how many people are interested in my research. I've had more than one alchemist visit me but you, however, are the youngest." Again he seemed to scrutinize Edward.

The boy smiled awkwardly. The way the older man looked at him made him feel uncomfortable – like he was a bug or something.

"Yeah well, I was hoping that you could help me with my problem."

"The automail," Basan said with a nod as they entered the parking lot. "Yes, you mentioned that in your letters. And I noticed when you shook my hand. An ingenious invention but not nearly as pleasant as the real thing, am I right?"

"Yeah," Edward agreed. "Looking into restoring my body with alchemy was how I found out about you. I hope you can help me."

"I _can_ help you," Cassius assured him confidently. "I've studied several forms of alchemy, including rendanshu from Xing. I'm the leading expert in cellular regeneration. And I'm very practiced in my art. The only difficulty in these cases is that they fall in the realm of human transmutation so generally I do my business quietly."

Ed had been apprehensive when he first met Basan but hearing him speak was the same as reading his letters. And he was talking alchemy. If there was anything that made Edward comfortable, it was alchemy. He was in his element.

"Understandable," the boy agreed. "The laws on human transmutation are sometimes a bit vague. Some define it as any alchemy performed on a human being but others say that it's alchemy preformed on a human under certain conditions. And the conditions can change in different areas of the country. Personally, I think that if someone's benefitting from it then it can't be all that bad."

He thought briefly of Alphonse. He couldn't wait until his younger brother was back in his normal body. There was nothing that he wouldn't do. He'd even go to prison, if it came down to it.

"Exactly," Cassius agreed, stopping next to a vehicle and pulling out his keys. He opened the trunk so Ed could put his suitcase in. He put his hand on Ed's shoulder and guided him to the passenger's door. He opened that too and held it open for him.

"I'm glad you agree. You'd be surprised how many self-righteous do-gooders try to trap me with technicalities of the law," Basan continued as Edward slid inside. He shut the door and then got in the driver's side. He turned and smiled at Ed. "You coming to see me is a golden opportunity for both of us."

The conversation between the two of them died a little after Basan started up the car and they were on the road. Edward couldn't help but let his curiosity get the better of him as he looked out the windows, watching the scenery flash by. Riding in a car was about a thousand times better than he had anticipated. In fact, it was better than the train ride had been.

They resumed talking once they were out of Central and there were fewer sights to see. They discussed different alchemic theories for a while but then Basan abruptly changed the subject.

"So, what about your family?" the man asked. "I'm surprised that they let you come by yourself."

"Well, my little brother Al wanted to come," Ed admitted. "But I figured it would be better if he stayed home. I can take care of myself. I know martial arts and some real kick ass alchemy."

"But you're still very young," Cassius noted. "What did your parents think?"

The youth shrugged in a way that was meant to be casual but came off as stiff. "Mom's been dead for a while now and my bastard of a father has been 'missing' for years."

Basan gave him a brief look, eyebrows raised. Ed didn't care. He hated for his father and didn't see the need to hide the fact.

"So," the man continued. "It's just you and your brother, then."

"Sort of," Ed shrugged and tried to be vague. The questions made him uncomfortable for some reason. "Our neighbors help us out."

"He must be pretty excited about you getting your limbs back," Basan commented.

Edward hesitated. He still felt guilty about the conversation he'd had with Alphonse before he'd left Resembool and it flashed through his mind briefly. He thought about it for a second before speaking.

"He… Well, he doesn't know… I told him I was coming to Central to do some research," Ed admitted. "You said not to tell anyone so I thought I'd surprise him."

Cassius laughed. "I'm sure it would've been fine to tell your brother."

"Yeah, I guess," Edward responded, feeling guilty.

"And you say he's younger than you?" Cassius inquired. "Can I ask by how many years?"

"One," Ed said. "A year younger. He's eleven right now."

"And that would make you twelve," the man stated pointedly.

"Yeah…" Ed agreed. He didn't like all of these personal questions. He didn't know why but it just didn't quite feel right. "Anyway, I'm really excited to see your research…"

* * *

It hadn't taken him long to see that his coming there had been a mistake.

At first the youth was itching to see the man's research, enthused that it might be the answer to restoring Alphonse. Once in the laboratory Basan was less guarded and encouraged by Ed's open-mindedness to his ideas he showed him his some of notes and a few of his projects. It was not what Ed had expected. After a few hours or so he began to have a bad feeling about where the man's research was going.

The theories were all right. But the methods the man used were more than questionable. The things that Basan intended to do to animals as test subjects and trial runs Ed refused consider. Especially after looking at what the man wanted to do in his notes.

It was actually a relief to think Cassius wasn't going to be able to help him fix Alphonse. The focus of the man's research was on physical things that were already in the realm of existence. Since Edward didn't have his younger brother's body available none Basan's material would be useful, not even his research on cellular regeneration.

He quickly made up his mind to go home and told the man so at lunch the following day.

"No offense or anything," Ed finally began to explain to Cassius as a sullen looking manservant removed their soup bowls. "But I… I don't think this will really help me."

"No?" the man asked, looking surprised. He had been talking about one of his theories of using animal organs to replace faulty human ones. His expression shifted and he began to look peevish. "Why do you say that?"

Ed took a deep breath. He really wasn't expecting Cassius to take this well. "I've changed my mind."

Basan seemed to regard him for a moment with his overly bright eyes. "Are you scared?" he asked him. He reached over and put his hand on Ed's arm. "You don't need to be," Cassius assured him. "We're both practiced alchemists. I'm sure we could restore your limbs in a matter of minutes."

Though the gesture was probably meant to be comforting, the hand on his arm felt cold and clammy even through his sleeve and Ed shook it off, irritated. "Don't touch me!" he exclaimed. "I'm not afraid!"

A dark cloud passes over the older man's face giving the light in his pale green eyes even more intensity. "I thought you wanted to restore your limbs," he replied his voice tight with anger.

"Well, yeah," the youth admitted. He wanted to keep his own anger in check so things didn't get out of hand. "But I don't think this is the way to do it."

"Oh? And what is the way to do it? I didn't realize you had so many options! You didn't seem to have any when you showed up here yesterday!" Cassius reminded him heatedly. "What's the problem?"

"I think your research needs more work before its put into practice," Ed said.

"Ha!" the older man scoffed. "A likely story! What you mean to say is that you'll steal what you've learned from me to make a name for yourself! You just came to spy on me!"

"Of course not," Ed retorted. The guy just was being totally paranoid. As if Ed would ever want to do the terrible things that this man was planning to do.

"How else do you explain this sudden change of mind, then?" the older alchemist demanded.

"Alright. If you must know," Ed answered. "I don't agree with your methods."

"My methods?" Cassius countered. "What could possibly be wrong with my methods?"

"The things you've done to animals – the transmutations you've performed on them!" replied Edward. "They're barbaric and cruel and most of them are totally pointless. It's almost as if you _enjoy_ seeing them in pain."

Basan laughed harshly. "They're only animals," he smiled unpleasantly. "I made those chimera. They are my creations. I own them and I can do what I like to them."

"They're living creatures!!" Ed exclaimed. "Don't you have any feelings?"

"What do feelings have to do with it? Alchemy is art, sacrifices are necessary," the older alchemist scoffed. "Its time you grew up and realized that."

"I'm not going through with it," Ed said, standing his ground. The man's logic was twisted. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?!" Basan spat standing up and pushing himself away from the table. "You stupid little brat! Do you have any idea the amount of work I've done preparing for this? This is the perfect opportunity to show the world my art and you think you're just going to snatch it away from me?!! And I'm going to _let_ you!?" The man's emotions were starting to get the better of him. His face was starting to turn red.

Ed got up from the table and started walking toward the door. "You can't stop me. I'm going to get my things," he said. He was starting to lose his temper too and he didn't think it would look too good if he beat the old man to a pulp before he left. It wasn't an easy thing to do but he had to walk away.

He had already packed. He'd been prepared for Basan's outburst. He planned to start walking down the road and hitch a ride with whoever he could to Central. If he missed the train he could sleep in a hotel or along the side of the road for that matter. He just wanted to get as far from this place as was possible.

When he came back downstairs with his bag Cassius was there waiting for him. He was surprised to see the man had already calmed down. All of his previous anger had disappeared. He rushed forward to meet Edward as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Edward! Edward!" Cassius exclaimed clasping his hands together. "I must apologize for my bad behavior! Please say that you forgive me! I don't want to part on bad terms."

Edward was surprised at the sudden change of heart but didn't want to see the guy fly off the handle again. "It's okay, I guess."

"I'm glad to hear it," Basan said with relief placing a hand on Ed's shoulder. "You just surprised me with your sudden change of heart. I'm sorry to have gotten so angry. I haven't upset you, have I?"

"No," Edward answered wondering if he was going to start trying to persuade him to go through with the transmutation again.

"Good I'm glad to hear it," said the older man. "Of course the decision to restore your limbs is yours and if you don't wish to go ahead with the transmutation I'll respect that. But there's no need for you to run off in the middle of lunch. Why don't you come back and finish eating and then I'll drive you back to town? We're having the most delicious lemon mouse for dessert. You simply must have some."

Lemon mouse? He'd never had that before. Ed hesitated. He did want to leave but he was still a bit hungry. It couldn't hurt to stay long enough to finish eating if Cassius was offering to drive him back to the city.

"Well…" Edward started and then smiled awkwardly. "Alright."

* * *

Edward slowly came to consciousness. He felt ill, like he'd eaten something that didn't quite agree with him. He was sleepy too and it took him a bit of effort to try and open his eyes. His effort was wasted however as his eyes slipped closed before he even had a chance to properly see where he was.

He was lying on his back, he could tell that much. Also, he was lying on cement. He could feel it cold and hard beneath his skin. So he was naked? When had he taken his clothes off? What had he been doing? He was chilled to the bone, goose-bumps prickling his skin.

Ed made a face and tried forcing his eyes opened again, blinking hard. It took him a moment or two but then he realized where he was. Cassius Basan's laboratory.

He blinked hard a couple more times and tried to remember what had happened. He'd come to see Cassius' research in hope that it would give him some sort of clue on how to restore Al. The research hadn't looked promising. He'd wanted to go home but he'd stayed long enough to eat first. They fought and then…and then they'd had desert. After that… After that…

Edward couldn't really remember and it bothered him. What had happened? Was he sick? Or was it something else? And why was he lying here in the nude? Did that mean… What _did_ that mean? He gave his head a sluggish shake and tried to think clearly.

He made a small attempt to sit up but he found that he couldn't move. He looked down to see that he was strapped to the ground by a pair of thick, leather thongs. One crossed over his arm and chest, pinning down his upper half, and the other one was holding down his legs. His automail had been removed. He squirmed, suddenly feeling very afraid.

"I wouldn't bother struggling. There's no point."

Ed looked around for the source of the voice and found Basan standing in the doorway. His fear decreased a fraction at the sight of the man. The situation wasn't good. Edward was trapped and vulnerable, but if he had something physical to face off against he was confidant that he could handle it.

"Cassius," he began, trying to keep his voice level. "What's going on?"

"Why, I'm fixing you, obviously," the man stated, walking over. Ed realized that he had a cat in his arms. It appeared to be asleep. "I couldn't just have you leave. This is too perfect of an opportunity for the both of us."

Ed licked his lips nervously. "Ah… I see. Um… Can we talk about this for a moment?"

"Why?" Basan responded, setting the cat down beside the boy. It was limp, like a rag doll, and Ed wondered vaguely what was wrong with it. It wasn't dead at least; its chest was still rising and falling slowly with each breath it took.

"Yeah well, I don't know what you're doing," Edward began, fidgeting a little. "Some of your research is incomplete. I wouldn't want to, you know…um…die. That wouldn't exactly be productive - for either of us."

"I know what I'm doing," Cassius said with a smile. "I've done this plenty of times before. My chimera are proof of my talent."

"Your chimera?" Ed asked.

"Don't worry," the man shrugged, continuing on as though the boy hadn't spoken. "The process seems painful but over sixty percent of the crosses survive. I haven't had a subject die in quite a while."

"You're…. You…" Ed began finally making the connection. "You're gonna turn me into a chimera?!"

"You're flawed, Edward. What I'm going to do is fix you," Basan retorted. "So, of course, I need material for the transmutation."

"You can't be serious!" Edward snapped, doing his best to fight against his restraints now. "Human transmutation is illegal! Besides, people will come looking for me!"

"Ah, Edward. I must admit that you are most entertaining. However, what you say isn't true. No one will coming looking for you because you've already said it yourself, no one knows that you're here. "

Basan was right, as much as Edward hated to admit it. And it terrified him. He was trapped and there wasn't anyway he was getting out of this unless he found a way out on his own. He tried to stay calm and think straight.

"The police, the military," he said, grabbing at straws. "You'll get caught; get sent to prison or worse."

Cassius looked at him with amusement. "Now, that's just plain silly. What reason does anyone have to 'catch' me? Perhaps, I added too much of the drug to your dessert." He turned and walked out of Ed's line of vision.

Drug? He'd been drugged? It made sense to Edward and it would also explain the limp cat lying on the ground beside him. It was probably drugged too.

He struggled to see turn his head to see where Cassius had gone but he couldn't.

Suddenly a wave of alchemic energy crashed into him and Edward screamed. He couldn't possibly hold it in. This hurt worse than anything he'd ever been through. It was worse than loosing his limbs, worse than automail surgery. It felt as though every molecule of his entire being was set on fire.

For a long moment, he felt blinding pain and nothing else. It was an excruciation moment that seemed to last forever. But then beyond the pain a sense of familiarity gripped him.

Being transmuted was almost the same as transmuting something. As he was being combined with the cat he could feel the flow of alchemy about him. The two becoming one. And the pain was immense.

And it was wrong.

There was something wrong with the transmutation circle.

It flashed before him in his mind, flickering and faint. The lines were wrong. It wasn't working. And he could _feel_ it as the alchemic energy manipulated him.

But Edward couldn't do anything. He was trapped and becoming more mutilated by the second. His organs knotted. His spine twisted. His skull squeezed his brain. It was wrong. All wrong.

He dug his fingers into the ground beneath him, fingernails scrapping the cement uselessly as he cried out again. And then he realized it.

His hand was touching the circle.

He could try and join in the transmutation.

Immediately he set to work on it, summoning all of his strength to try and fix things. He tried to push the cat away, using every ounce of will he had to keep his body as human as he could. His bones reformed, his organs unwound. He felt the tickle of whiskers on his face and shoved them back. The pain was starting to diminish and the transmutation seemed to be going smoother but his strength was rapidly failing. There was something wrong with his ears. His back arched suddenly, his spine burning and he slipped away from consciousness.

* * *

Edward woke up abruptly. It was strange, like the flick of a light switch. One moment he'd been sleeping and the next he was completely aware. He wished he had the power to switch off again, though, because he felt like shit.

He was lying face down in an unfamiliar bed but he couldn't bring himself to care. It felt like he'd been beaten up, only about fifty times worse. Every muscle in his entire body ached like it was battered and bruised. He groaned and painfully rolled onto his side.

When Edward moved he became aware of something. There was pain where there shouldn't be any.

He had four limbs – two arms, two legs – and they all felt real and apart of him. The transmutation had been a success? Or was this some sort of drug-induced dream?

He pushed himself upright into a sitting position, legs dangling over the edge of the bed and his feet touching the cool floor. He ignored his body's painful protests and looked at his hands in amazement. Yes! There were two! He wasn't dreaming. He could feel them both – he wiggled his fingers. Yep, they were his, but strangely his fingernails seemed to have disappeared. That was weird!

He looked down at his legs. They looked skinnier or something and there was still a band of scarring around his left leg where the auto mail had been.

Automail! He wondered if Winry was going to be pissed. He certainly knew what Al's reaction was going to be. He was going to be ecstatic! Ed could hardly wait to get home and show him. For the first time Edward really and truly felt like restoring Al's body was possible.

Edward stuck his legs out in front of him. Two! There were two! It was amazing.

But ouch! He dropped his feet back to the floor and sat forward. He was sitting on some bunched up blankets or something that was more than a bit uncomfortable. He reached underneath himself to push them out of the way. His hand met something warm and furry and at the same time an odd sensation traveled up his back.

Edward jumped to his feet and gasped at the pain shooting through his body as it protested moving so fast. He turned to see what he was sitting on, thinking for a moment it might have been the poor cat.

A creature with a long, furry, golden tail slipped around behind him.

He turned to follow it but it moved too, staying behind him. He spun around in a couple circles before thinking to outwit the creature by going in the other direction. Only the creature seemed to have read his mind and instantly headed in the other way as well. He reversed his direction again and the same thing happened.

Damn, it was fast! But there was no way Edward was going to be outdone. Spinning on his toes he grabbed hold of the thing as far down the end of the tail as he could. To his surprise, claws extended from the tips of his fingers when he grasped it.

Cool! There was no way this thing would get away from him. He grinned and pulled hard.

He let it go immediately as a sharp pain shot straight up his spine.

What the hell?

The tail now hung down behind him, the end of it swishing back and forth around his ankles. He reached behind a thigh and pulled the tail forward. He could feel the soreness in his lower back where it was attached and had been pulled. He could feel where his claws had caught it.

The tail was his? But he couldn't have a tail. How the hell was he going to explain this to Al?

Then, something in his hair twitched. He immediately put his hands on his head and they landed on a pair of odd, fuzzy objects. What the-! He felt them. Wait. Were those…his ears? What the hell had happened to his ears!

He felt a sudden sinking feeling.

He was a chimera.

Edward Elric had been turned into a chimera.

The seriousness of the situation sunk in and it felt as though he'd had the breath knocked out of him. The cat from the transmutation – he'd been combined with it. Part of him was cat. Cassius Basan had transmuted him.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, avoiding sitting on his tail. His legs felt weak all of a sudden and he didn't trust himself to stand at the moment.

What would he tell Al? How would he deal with this? He'd messed up; seriously fucked up this time. He would have to live in secret from now on and be careful about what he did and said. From what he could tell he was mostly human but who knew? He had no idea what kinds of thoughts cats had. And he'd just been chasing his tail only moments before…

He took a calming breath. He couldn't panic. He had to think things through with a clear mind.

Edward knew that he could get through this – he had to. Alphonse was depending on him and he couldn't let anything hold him back. So, he was a chimera. He could still list out the Periodic Table of Elements. He would be fine. Besides, it didn't matter what happened to him. As long as nothing happened to Alphonse he would be all right.

As he tried to relax and accept his situation a little, he glanced around the room. It was plain, white, very small and almost square. The bed he was sitting on was moderately comfortable. It had some blankets and a pillow. In the corner there was a bucket but otherwise there was nothing except Ed himself. There was a large door to his left and across from his bed was a long, rectangular window.

Edward also noticed transmutation circles were deeply embedded into the walls. They were strange circles, one's he wasn't familiar with. Ed walked over and tried to scratch the edge of one with his claws. They didn't leave a mark. Whatever material they were made out of wouldn't be easily damaged. He studied them for a while before turning his attention back to window.

Something about it bothered him and it took him a second to realize what it was. There were curtains on the other side of the glass. Now, why would that be? What was on the other side? Another room, Ed imagined.

He gave his head a shake and stood up. He went over to the door and tried the knob. It was locked. Somehow he had expected that. He clapped his hands together and touched the door.

Nothing happened.

Ed swallowed hard and tried again. Still nothing.

He couldn't perform alchemy. Why couldn't he perform alchemy? What the _hell_ was going on here?!

Then Edward remembered the transmutation circles on the walls. He turned sharply to look at the nearest one and studied it some more. It took him maybe ten minutes but eventually he deciphered it. The circles on the walls were preventing him from using alchemy. Damn it!

With nothing to do, Edward began to pace in irritation. He was trapped in this room with no way out. He couldn't use his alchemy. What the hell was he supposed to do? Ed growled low in his throat in frustration.

He had probably been walking back and forth in the room for fifteen to twenty minutes when the window's curtain were drawn back. Ed glanced in that direction warily and found himself staring at Cassius Basan.

As soon as Edward laid eyes on the man, anger bubbled up inside him. He felt his ears flatten themselves to his skull and his tail fluffed up behind him. He growled, dashing across the room and taking a futile swipe at the man's face. His claws came out and screeched across the glass, leaving it otherwise unaffected. That just it pissed him off all the more.

"You _bastard_," the boy snarled. "I'm lucky to even be alive! You…! _You_…!"

His voice was lost to his rage and he growled again low in his throat. Ed was madder than he'd been in a long time. And when he had the opportunity, this guy was going to seriously feel his wrath!

The man smiled at him. "So, you can still speak. Impressive."

"There's nothing impressive about it!" Ed managed to spit out venomously, wondering how come they could hear each other. He glanced up and noticed a steel grate above the window. "And what the hell is this?! Why am I locked up like this?! Let me out, you bastard!"

"Well, it seems I'll have to add manners to the list of things I have to teach you," Cassius said, frowning at him.

"Manners my ass!" Edward snapped. "You have no right to hold me here or do anything else to me! I'm a human being, damn it!"

"No, you're not," Basan stated in a cool voice. "You are a chimera; my creation. You are not human. Look at yourself, Pet."

"Pet?" Ed repeated, a shiver running through him at the man's words. "_Pet_?! I am not your damn pet! Let me out of here! Come on!"

"Oh but you are, whether you know it yet or not," the man sighed, dragging a finger across his side of the glass. "You are my Pet and I am your Master. And I'm sure after a few days in your kennel without food or water will soften your mood somewhat. We'll start your obedience training then."

Edward didn't like the sound of whatever Basan had in mind. He growled a little before speaking. "Obedience training? What are you talking about?"

Cassius smiled cryptically at him and closing the curtains disappeared from Ed's sight.

"Hey!" he called, pounding on the glass with a clenched fist. "Wait! Come back!"

Basan didn't respond and the curtains remained closed. Edward was left trapped in the little white room.

* * *

The wheels of the military car crunched to a stop in the snowy driveway. It had been a while since Edward had seen it but the outside of the mansion wasn't quite as impressive as he remembered. It was still huge. The vines climbing the immense building were now dry and brown instead of green and leafy. But now instead of imposing or classy it seemed to be ominous surrounded by an air of neglect. He wondered if it was really different or if it was because he knew what really went on inside.


	4. Chapter 4

This work is a collaboration between myself and phantasy . cat. Neither of us own Fullmetal Alchemist.

_Chapter #4_

Mustang became even more disturbed as they went through Basan's mansion that morning.

He found it wasn't the evidence of the alchemic atrocities that bothered him. Instead it was the objects that may have seemed ordinary in another household. With the little he knew of Edward's history, they took on a sinister tone.

There were pet dishes in the corner of the dining room, a pet bed in the master bedroom and other paraphernalia any pet owner might have. But the items were all just all a little too large for a big dog. The number of collars, harnesses, leashes and muzzles they came across were too abundant to be normal. And the label 'Precious' appeared far too often.

What really turned his stomach was a small room they found at the back of the lab. It was the size of a large closet. The metal door going into the room had a narrow flap at the bottom, like a prison for passing food inside. There was a thick glass window with a metal grate over it that looked out into the lab but the curtains were hung on the laboratory side.

Inside the room was discolored and covered in stains. There was an unpleasant smell that Roy couldn't quite place. The walls looked to be made out of some kind of stone and were deeply engraved with transmutation circles. In one corner was a pile of filthy looking rags and in the other was an over-sized litter box.

If Roy had any doubt that the room had belonged to Edward it would have been dispelled by the youth's reaction to it. All the time touring around the building Edward had stayed at his left flank. He walked a few steps back out of the way but not quite out of his sight. He stayed quiet and unobtrusive watching everything they did. Dressed as he was he could have just been a local teenager following him around.

While Mustang and Hughes were investigating the room Edward disappeared from his side. When Roy came out he found the youth's demeanor had totally changed. He was next to the laboratory door, arms wrapped tightly around himself, staring at the floor. The expression on his face was pure misery. He looked so pitiful standing there alone and frightened, Roy couldn't help but imagine how horrible the last four years of his young life had been and his heart ached for him.

No amount of prison time for Cassius Basan would be enough to pay him back! That sick psycho!

Mustang suddenly felt the need to take Edward out of that place. He strode over and picked up an empty box. "Edward, here!" he said offering him the box.

The youth's head shot up, eyes wide with fear. He took the box tentatively from him.

Roy softened his voice a bit before continuing, "Do you have any clothes here?"

Ed gave a small nod.

"Well go and get them and anything else you want," the Colonel added. "Because you won't be coming back here." He emphasized the last part of the statement and it had the desired effect. Ed gave him a tiny smile and hurried up the stairs.

Roy walked over to Hughes. "Will you be needing me here any more?" he asked in a tone that made it clear he didn't think he was.

Hughes pushed his glasses up as he surveyed a soldier taping up a box of evidence. "No I think this will be about it," the investigator answered. "These canisters of film will be the last to go and then we'll clear out."

Mustang shook his head in disbelief. They had found movie cameras, projectors and film in the laboratory. Basan obviously spared no expense in documenting his research with the latest technology. "It must have cost him a fortune to make these," he speculated.

His friend smiled at him. "Its money well spent if the evidence on these films keep him in prison the rest of his life," replied Maes. "I can hardly wait to take a look at them."

"Well, don't stay at Headquarters too long watching them," Roy said clapping his friend's shoulder. "I don't want to get any calls from Gracia that I'm working you too hard."

"Don't worry about that!" Hughes answered. "I don't intend to spend one minute more away from home than I have to. My family needs me!"

It was then that Edward appeared at the bottom of the stairs carrying his box. He looked at Roy hopefully.

"Okay then," Mustang said turning to leave. "I'll see you back at Headquarters."

"Wait a minute," Maes said.

He dug in his breast pocket and pulled out a notepad and paper. He wrote on a page then ripped it out and handed it to Roy. The colonel took it. He read it and frowned.

"What's this?" he asked distastefully. Unperturbed Hughes grinned at him.

"A reminder," he replied. He nodded in Edward's direction. "You need to have someone look into…"

"I know _that_," Mustang responded. "I was referring to the name underneath that."

His friend shrugged. "He's a doctor…"

"_Used_ to be a doctor," Roy retorted.

"And someone we can trust," Hughes finished. "Do Edward a favor and take him to see him."

Mustang didn't like it but he knew his friend was right. He might not like the man but he would do the job discreetly and he would do it right. He looked at Edward who was watching their exchange warily.

He owed the youth that much.

"Alright," he conceded, heading for the stairs. "See you later, Maes. Come on, Ed."

The young man followed him upstairs.

Mustang ordered his car be brought around. He couldn't wait to be out of that foul place. He watched out the window in the foyer impatiently, playing with the piece of paper in his hand.

When Havoc pulled up in the car the Colonel stepped outside with his charge. It had stopped snowing earlier that morning but the air was still cold and crisp. His driver took a drag of his cigarette then opened the trunk. He came forward to meet them and took the box from Edward.

Looking down at his hands Mustang saw the piece of paper he was still carrying. He stuffed it in his pocket, his mind lost in thought.

"Just a moment," he said. "I'll be right back."

Edward looked up at him startled but Mustang ignored him and went into the house. He strode swiftly inside searching until he found Hawkeye.

"Lieutenant," he said walking up to her.

"Sir?" she replied looking up at him in surprise.

"When you return to Central I would like you to look up an Edward Elric that was living in Resembool four years ago. See if you can get in touch with his family and find out any information about them that you can," he informed her.

"Yes, sir," Riza answered crisply.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Roy said smiling at her. "I knew I could count on you."

He turned, his wet boots clicking across the floor as he headed back outside. The car was still waiting for him plumes of exhaust rising from behind it. Edward's nose was pressed to the window waiting for him to appear. He got in and they drove off.

Havoc took them to the hotel first so that Roy could check out and get his luggage. It didn't take long so they were soon on the road to Central.

Mustang finally took some time to relax. He already felt exhausted and the day wasn't even half over. He didn't try to force conversation with Edward. It seemed like too much effort and he needed a moment to himself. So the ride passed in silence.

Edward didn't seem to mind. At first he watched the scenery pass by and then he began to doze in the seat beside him. Roy wished he could nap as well but he couldn't stop thinking about work.

There would be so much to be taken care of with this whole Cassius affair. He would have endless paperwork, reports, and evidence to go through. The thought was almost overwhelming. He could already visualize what the state of his desk would be like when he got back to military HQ – overflowing with large stacks of paper. It could take months to sort everything out.

He let out a sigh and glanced to Edward. The youth seemed to be nearly asleep, eyes half-closed and breath coming out slow and even. He was slumped in the seat a little, looking like he wanted to curl up.

Mustang smiled and snaked an arm around the youth's shoulders, pulling him so that Edward was leaning against him. Ed looked up at him, blinking slightly and looking a little startled by the sudden action. Roy simply looked ahead, staring out the front window. After a moment of uncertain staring, the youth let his head rest lightly on the man's shoulder.

In a few minutes, Edward was snoring softly. Even through the heavy material of his uniform, Mustang could feel the heat of his breath. And was he drooling? Roy checked just to be sure.

He wasn't.

The youth looked incredibly cute snuggled up to him like that. It was strange to Mustang. He'd never thought of a chimera, or a teenage boy for that matter, as cute.

When they arrived in Central, Havoc stopped at Roy's house so they could unload their luggage but then they headed to the office. Mustang's desk was already littered with files, as he had feared, when he arrived but it took Edward's stomach growling loudly to remind him that they hadn't had lunch. He sent Fury to get them sandwiches. As they were eating, more of Roy's staff arrived.

Once they were finished eating, he remembered the paper he'd shoved in his pocket. Fishing it out, Roy let out a long sigh, hesitating a bit. He'd almost rather do paperwork. He looked up the number he needed and dialed.

"Hello?" a dull voice greeted him.

"Doctor Knox," he began. "It's been a while."

He thought he heard the other man swear under his breath on the other end of the line. While he and Knox weren't exactly on bad terms, neither particularly cared for the other.

"What do you want?" the man huffed.

"I have a job for you," he began smoothly.

"A job? What kind of a job?" Knox demanded.

"I have a human chimera to be examined," Roy explained. "I need it to be done discreetly."

There was a pause and the man snorted. "A human chimera. Even you can't be that stupid. That sort of thing is impossible."

"Are you an alchemist?" Mustang inquired. He was met with silence. "That's what I thought. So don't go telling me what's alchemically possible and what's not. So, will you help me?"

There was another pause. Roy was almost beginning to wonder if the man had hung up when he spoke again.

"Fine. I'm only taking a quick look though. And you'll have to bring it here. You need the address?"

Mustang said yes fishing a pen and paper from the mess on his desk. He took the man's address down and then pocketed it.

"Thank you," Roy said. "When would be a good time?"

"Hmm… Are you busy right now?" Knox asked. "The sooner I have you back out of my life the better."

Mustang hesitated. There should be enough time. For the rest of the week, the Colonel knew that he would be buried underneath paperwork and reports. Who knew when he'd have time?

He sighed. "Right now is convenient enough, I suppose."

"Then be over here as soon as you can," the man grunted and hung up. Mustang sighed doing the same.

He looked up and noticed Ed looking at him questioningly. The youth dropped his eyes immediately and fiddled with the buttons on his shirt a bit.

"Edward," Roy began, remembering to smile when he talked to him. "I need to take you to see a doctor. You're a chimera and because of what's happened to you, we need to have you examined. I know that this is sudden but we have to go right away because the doctor can see you now and we may not have time for this later. Do you understand?"

The youth's eyes looked up at him shyly, his eyes wide but he nodded.

Mustang called for his car then got up and told Fury that he and Edward had a doctor's appointment. Then when the car came for them he and Ed left for Knox's.

Doctor Knox was no longer a doctor, but he had been once. Roy had worked with him during Ishbal. The man had some talent despite the fact that he was a pathologist these days. It's just…seeing him would bring back some bad memories.

He tried to keep his head clear and his thoughts focused on Edward throughout the drive there. It was important to have the youth looked over. They needed to know more about his body and the degree to which he had been abused.

They arrived at their destination and Roy led Ed up to the house and knocked on the door. After a few minutes wait, Knox answered. He sneered at them a little, then moved aside so that they could come in.

"So where's this chimera?" the man snorted, looking between the two of them. "I hope the two of you don't expect me to help you haul it in here."

Roy turned to Ed and removed the youth's hat. The ears sprung up immediately and twitched. Edward looked at him nervously and then looked back over to the doctor.

Knox blinked, adjusted his glasses, and glowered at Roy. He crossed his arms and huffed.

"He's alive, Mustang," the man said. "I don't examine bodies that are alive any more. I'm a pathologist. I thought you knew that."

The colonel hadn't mentioned the fact that Ed was living and breathing to Knox on purpose. He had only worked with corpses since the war and Mustang knew that on the phone it would've been easy for him to refuse to see Edward. Now that they were standing in the man's house it was difficult.

"I do know," he answered, placing a hand on Ed's shoulder and handing him back his hat. The youth looked up at him. "I figured you'd make an exception. There isn't really anyone else we can ask."

Knox looked at Roy and then looked to Ed. The youth looked down at the ground quickly.

"Fine. Whatever. You owe me, Mustang," the man said and then led them into the kitchen.

The house was mess. Things were lying about all over and the dishes in the sink were overflowing. The kitchen table and chairs looked recently cleaned. On one side of the kitchen table was a tray of rather nasty looking instruments.

Knox turned and addressed Edward. "So, what's your name, kid?"

Ed answered shyly refusing to look at him, "Edward." His ears twitched.

"Well Edward, I'm Dr. Knox and the Colonel here wants me to examine you," the older man explained, his tone made it clear that he blamed Mustang entirely. "Are you alright with that?"

"Yes," the youth answered quietly studying the cap in his hands.

"Well then I need you to undress," he instructed waving his hand in the direction of a hallway. "The bathroom is the last door on the right. There is a towel hanging by the tub. Wrap it around yourself and come back here."

Edward obediently left to do as he was told.

"Is there anything you want me to check out in particular?" Knox asked Roy as he put the instruments that lay out on the table away in a case.

"We found him during the raid we did yesterday," Roy answered keeping his voice low. "I need to know approximately how much of him is human and how much is chimera. Also…" he paused, hesitating. "I think he might have been abused. Physically and sexually. Whatever you can tell me would be helpful."

Knox frowned but nodded. Closing the case he put it into a heavy black bag. He removed several other more familiar medical items and laid them out on the table. "Been a while since I've used any of this," he commented as he laid out a small rubber hammer next to the blood pressure cuff.

Edward returned from the bathroom. His ears were folded down and his shoulders were hunched in a defensive manner. He had the towel wrapped around himself under his armpits and was clutching the front keeping it closed. It reminded Roy of how the youth had held his robe the night he'd met him. Ed's tail flicked nervously down by his feet and he was looking at the two men uncertainly.

Roy saw now why he'd first thought of Ed as so young, not only was he short, he was slender. But his chest too defined and his shoulders were too broad to be those of a child. A large, thick scar was wrapped around his right shoulder. It looked like the one on the youth's left leg and Roy wondered how he'd come by them. Knox seemed interested as well because he approached him for a closer look.

"How did you get this?" the doctor asked. Ed's eyes darted to Roy nervously.

"I… I… I don't…" was all the youth could seemed to manage.

"What?" Knox insisted.

"He doesn't want to answer - drop it," Roy cut in.

"Great idea," the doctor sneered at him. "You're really going to find out things that way. Brilliant plan."

"He's been through a lot," Mustang said in Ed's defense. "Leave him alone."

"It's a simple question," Knox snapped. "It won't hurt him to answer."

Edward's bottom lip quivered slightly. He was looking between the two men nervously. His ears were down and he looked miserable.

Mustang gave Knox a stern look. After a moment he huffed and dropped the question. He patted the surface of the table. "Hop up here and have a seat," he directed.

Edward backed up to the table and climbed onto it backwards. Once he had settled onto it, Knox held a thermometer in front of his face. "Open your mouth and hold this under your tongue," he instructed.

Ed opened his mouth and Knox placed it inside. He took a stethoscope off of the table and put it in his ears. Then he reached over with one hand and lowered Edward's towel with one hand while putting the diaphragm of the stethoscope in the center of the youth's chest.

"Take a deep breath," the doctor said. Then waited a moment. "Now let it out."

Mustang found himself unable to stay still as Knox continued moving the stethoscope around Edward's chest and back and telling him to breathe in and out. He didn't want to be here but who knew what the teenager would think if he left him alone with Knox. He felt responsible for him and didn't want to put him under any more stress if he could help it. But he was nervous enough at his own physical exams without having to sit through someone else's.

Knox took hold of the thermometer sticking out of the youth's mouth. "Open up," he directed. As he took the reading he addressed Roy. "Look Mustang, no one's having your baby! Sit down! You're making me nervous!"

Roy pulled out a chair. He sat on it abruptly crossing his arms. He had no choice but to watch Knox performing his examination. The doctor peered into Ed's ears and eyes. He took his blood pressure. Then he took one of Ed's hands and examined it.

"You have claws?" he inquired of the youth who nodded.

Roy took a sudden interest. Edward had claws? There had been something about his hands that had seemed different but he hadn't pinpointed it.

"Extend them for me," the doctor directed.

The youth bent his fingers and some rather large wicked looking claws extended from the tips. Roy couldn't help but be impressed. They looked like they could do some serious damage. He wondered why Edward hadn't fought Basan.

"Feet as well?" said Knox.

In answer, Edward put out a foot and curled his toes. Claws came out of his toes where the nails should have been.

It was then that Knox noticed the ring of thick scarring around Ed's left leg just above the knee. He ran his fingers over it. "Another scar I'm not supposed to ask about?" he asked sarcastically giving Roy a pointed look.

Ed flushed and hung his head, his hands tightening into fists.

"That's right," Mustang answered smoothly. He refused to make the youth feel bad about not answering.

Knox snorted derisively. He took the small rubber hammer and started checking Edward's reflexes. When he was done he indicated Ed should jump down off the table. When he did Knox took the towel off him setting it aside.

Mustang couldn't help looking at the youth standing nude in front of him. He was curious to see how much of Edward was catlike.

The youth was lean and fairly muscled. He had smooth, pale skin and his features seemed sharper and more angular than Roy expected. There was a look of grace about him and his muscles were smooth like a dancer's might be. Though he was abnormally short the Colonel could now distinctly see Ed as a young man.

A fully developed young man.

Mustang averted his eyes. Knox told Edward to turn his head to the side and cough. It was his own least favorite part of his physical. He heard the soft cough as he studied a particularly interesting blue stain on the kitchen floor.

When Knox instructed Edward to turn around Roy looked up again. His attention was drawn to the youth's tail. The area where it connected to his body – just above his butt – there was a triangular patch of blond fur. It extended a few inches from where the tail connected and it looked natural as it faded into the normal human skin.

"I'm sorry," Knox said addressing his patient. "This may be a bit uncomfortable." He grabbed Ed's tail and lifted taking a look beneath it. The youth looked back over his shoulder at the doctor perturbed with a stifled hiss.

Uncomfortable Roy dropped his eyes again. He kept them on the floor until he heard Knox tell Edward to go get dressed. The youth held the towel in front of himself as he hurried back to the bathroom. Mustang stood up and approached Knox as he put away his equipment.

"Well," Roy began. "What do you think?"

Knox gave Roy a skeptical look. "Mustang I am no longer a practicing doctor nor a vet but if you want my opinion…"

"I do," the Colonel affirmed.

"Edward is underfed but otherwise healthy. I would estimate about 10% of his body has become feline as the result of being combined with a housecat," the doctor stated as he closed his bag. "The transmutation was remarkable and almost seamless. Whether it can been reversed – well I suppose _you_ would know what is alchemically possible."

Roy ignored the jibe. "And the abuse?" he asked.

"Yes," Knox answered. "I agree with your suspicions that he has been physically and sexually abused for a number of years. With care he should recover physically in a few months."

"Alright," Roy said. "Thank you."

"You don't want to hear the rest?" Knox asked.

"The rest?" The colonel looked at him confused. "Of what?"

"My opinion, of course," Knox replied. "Edward has performed human transmutation."

"What?!" Roy exclaimed in disbelief. "That's impossible!"

The older man smiled at him. "A human chimera is impossible," he said. "The pattern of scarring around his shoulder and leg is exactly what it would've been if he had lost his limbs from performing human transmutation. I've seen this sort of thing before, though admittedly; no survivors."

Roy stood there speechless for a moment.

Knox picked up his black bag and shrugged. "You asked for my opinion."

He exited the kitchen passing Edward in the doorway. The youth had returned dressed with his cap in his hand looking timidly at Roy. Mustang supposed he must still look a bit shell shocked. He took out his pocket watch and checked the time. It was rather late perhaps he should just take Ed home and call it a day.

The phone ran.

Mustang clapped Edward on the shoulder as Knox walked past them to answer it. "I'm sorry to have put you through that bit of unpleasantness," he told him. "Why don't we head home?" He started steering Ed out when Knox stopped him.

"Mustang, wait!" he said holding up the phone receiver. "Its for you!"

Damn he'd almost been home free. He went and took the call. "Hello, Colonel Mustang speaking."

"Roy…"

He blinked in confusion. It was Hughes. Why was Hughes calling him?

Mustang frowned. There was something wrong about Hughes' voice. But what was it? Then it hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Are you alright?" Roy asked. "Maes, you sound upset."

"I am," his friend responded. He heard the man sniffle and the Colonel was instantly alert. Something was definitely wrong.

"What happened? Is everyone okay?" Mustang asked sharply.

"Nothing happened," Maes said, taking a breath. "I just wanted to make sure that you're coming back to the office after you see Knox. There's something here you should see."

"We're on our way," Roy assured him.


	5. Chapter 5

This work is a collaboration between myself and phantasy . cat. Neither of us own Fullmetal Alchemist.

_Chapter #5_

Even though this was his second time visiting the place Edward couldn't get over how huge Military HQ was! It had to be a thousand times larger than Basan's mansion and Edward was afraid of getting lost once inside. He stayed right next to his Master, walking as close to him as he physically could without touching him.

The place was full of strange smells and sounds. There were people everywhere. It muddled Ed and so he stuck to Roy as they walked through the endless maze of corridors until they arrived at Mustang's office. He was familiar with the place since they'd had lunch there earlier.

He took off his cap and allowed himself to relax when they arrived.

That is until he passed by Hawkeye's desk.

The first lieutenant had gotten back while they had been at the doctor's. She was sitting at a desk off to the side working. She glanced up when they walked in.

But coming from her direction was a horrible stench. It was a scent Edward recognized immediately and sitting down next to the woman's desk he found the source.

It was a dog.

There was a dog in the room.

And it was looking straight at him.

Edward froze automatically when his eyes met the dog's. His ears swiveled back and his tail was instantly twice its normal size. It filled the pant leg that it was stuffed inside.

The evil creature was looking at him curiously, ears perked.

He heard his Master call his name but it didn't register. Every fiber of his being screamed danger. He couldn't take his attention off of the canine. It wanted to chase him. Bite him. Rip away chunks of flesh.

The dog twitched and on instinct Ed bolted. He needed to get away!

Get away! Get away! Get away!

Get up! Up! Up! The bookcase!

Ed jumped and his upper half landed on top of the bookcase. Using his claws, he dug them into the wood and scrambled until his whole body was curled up onto of the shelf. He held his body close, his hair standing on end and began shivering a little. He looked back with wide eyes, searching for the dog.

The canine hadn't moved, though it looked excited. It was staring at him with intent eyes, body tense and tail wagging.

It was just sitting there.

Edward heard his Master call him again and blinking a little, he looked over to the man. Roy was looking up at him his brows knit. He realized that everyone else in the office was staring at him in shock. His behavior was unacceptable. He was embarrassing his Master. As those facts started to sink in, he felt his cheeks began to heat up.

"Th-the dog…" he tried to explain in his defense. He opened his mouth to say more but nothing else came out.

"Edward," Mustang said kindly. "Black Hayate won't hurt you. He's a good dog. You don't need to be afraid."

Oh, but he did. His Master had no understanding of dogs if he thought that there was one in the world that was good.

"With your permission, I'll take Black Hayate home, sir," Hawkeye spoke up and Ed looked over in her direction, ears perking up.

His Master seemed to debate it for a moment. He seemed to want to say no. But then he spared Ed a glance and, with a hint of regret in his voice, said, "It would be for the best."

Lieutenant Hawkeye stood. "Come, Hayate."

The dog stood as well and dutifully followed the woman from the office.

Roy walked over to the bookshelf that Edward was curled up on top of and looked up at him.

"Are you alright?" his Master asked. "Do you need help getting down?"

The youth shook his head and twisted his body around so that he could go down feet first. He slipped down, landing gracefully on his feet. He turned to face Mustang and his displeasure.

"You scared me for a minute there," Roy admitted.

Ed looked down at the ground ashamed. Here he was, a no-good filthy chimera, embarrassing his new Master who had been nothing but kind to him. He was an important military man with the respect and admiration of everyone here. He should not be inconvenienced by a dirty piece of vermin like Edward.

"But as long as you're okay, it's fine," the older man assured him. "Don't worry. Nothing's going to happen to you while I'm around."

Ed looked up at his Master a bit uncertainly and nodded. He couldn't help but wonder how much longer that would be. It would serve him right if the Colonel wanted nothing more to do with him. He was ungrateful, useless and a bother.

"Now, I'm got to go see Hughes," Roy said, placing a large warm hand on the youth's shoulder. He glanced over to his second lieutenant. "Havoc, can you watch Edward for a minute? I have to go over to Investigations."

"Sure," the blond man said not bothering to remove the cigarette dangling from his lips as he spoke. "Not a problem."

Ed felt uncomfortable being left behind with this smelly soldier. But being obedient was least he could do. He was rewarded by a smile from Roy.

"I'll be right back. Be good while I'm gone," the Colonel said and ruffled his hair.

The gesture left Edward's ears tingling pleasantly. He shyly watched the man leave and then turned to Havoc. The blond soldier stared back at him and there was an awkward silence.

"Do you play cards?" Havoc finally asked.

* * *

Mustang hurried over to Investigations. He was eager to see Hughes and find out what had upset him. He was pretty sure Maes had been crying on the phone and Roy hadn't seen his friend cry since the war.

He didn't even bother knocking when he got there. He simply walked in and scanned the room for Hughes. They both spotted each other immediately and Roy marched over. As soon as he was close enough, Hughes pulled him into a hug. It surprised him but after a second he returned it.

"What is it?" the Colonel asked as Hughes pulled away.

Maes' eyes were red, though it was almost unnoticeable. So Mustang was right, he _had_ been crying.

"Come with me. I'll show you," his friend answered.

Hughes led him to a dark room where there was a projector set up with a large screen set up. Roy remembered being shown military films here before. They'd either been trainings films for new recruits or ones the army had made for public relations.

"I was watching the film we got from Basan's," Maes began. "The first ones were to do with his work on alchemy. But then I came across a couple canisters labeled 'Precious'. This is the first one."

Roy took a seat wondering vaguely how bad this was going to be. If it could make Hughes cry…it had to be pretty serious. Maes turned on the projector then shut off the lights and sat down beside him. They began to watch.

Black and white images danced cross the screen with only the sound of the projector running beside them.

The first thing Mustang saw was Edward. It was bit of a shock though not entirely unexpected. He was noticeably younger, with wider eyes and fuller cheeks. Roy realized he must have been around twelve or thirteen when the film was taken. There was something different about him though and it took Mustang a second to realize what it was.

Edward was glaring. He was angry and there was a fiery glint to his eyes. He seemed passionate and full of energy – something that the Ed he knew seemed to lack.

He was in the closet sized room that they had found in the lab, Roy realized, only the room looked much different. He could see an overturned bed in the corner, it's mattress torn to shreds. The walls were pristine and white.

From what Mustang remembered the camera appeared to be set up outside the window that peered into the room. And Edward did not seem to be happy about being stuck in there. He was pacing back and forth, sending the camera murderous glares from time to time. A card slipped in front of the camera then and on it was the date, time and some other information. Roy read through it.

"Day two of no food?!" he exclaimed, turning to Hughes. "You mean Basan was starving him?!"

"Makes sense, doesn't it?" Maes responded morbidly. "It looks like he wasn't too cooperative in the beginning. Starve someone enough and they'll do anything for food."

The Colonel clenched his teeth and continued watching. It seemed they filmed Edward for short periods at regular intervals, and noticeably, the boy got thinner and weaker. It wasn't surprising. Without food Ed would eventually die. Roy at least knew that he managed to survive and that was his only comfort as he continued to watch.

Then suddenly, it wasn't just a scene with Edward or information indicating as to how starved he was. Ed was there, sitting on the ground with Cassius crouched before him, hand outstretched. And in the palm of the man's hand there was some sort of food. Basan was trying to get Ed to eat out of his hand.

Roy growled, wanting Edward to refuse the bastard. He watched intensely and couldn't help but feel that the situation wouldn't go well.

The boy's eyes were sharp, focused, and thoughtful. He wanted the food badly, that much was obvious, but he wanted to eat out of the man's hand just about as much as Mustang wanted him to. He made a few small attempts to grab the food from Cassius' hand but the man pulled it away, out of reach when he did. After a moment, he gave in.

"That sick, twisted, son of a bitch," the Colonel growled.

"Trust me, Roy," Hughes said from beside him. "It gets worse."

For maybe a minute or so, they watched Edward eat. He was fast and hungry so he took in everything that was there, even licking Basan's hand when there was nothing left. But his eyes were still focused and as soon as he was finished his tiny meal he snapped at the hand, trying to bite Cassius.

The man seemed to have seen this coming but as it was his fingers got nipped as he pulled them back. Ha! Served him right! Roy smirked, proud for a moment. No one should have to take crap like that.

There were consequences for his actions, however. Edward earned himself a smack across the face from Basan and the man stood abruptly, walking out of the camera's line of sight. Then it cut off and a new scene began to play.

From what Mustang could gather, this was Edward's punishment for misbehaving. He was tied up kneeling on the ground with a large tub of water in front of him and Cassius standing behind him. He grabbed Edward by the hair and dunked his head under the water, holding him there for a minute of maybe more. He raised the boy's head momentarily to let him have a quick breath and then shove his head under again. He did this repeated until Edward could no longer fight back from weakness and exhaustion. Cassius released him then but Edward had swallowed so much water that he vomited, losing what little nutrients he had gained.

This scenario repeated itself until Edward was docilely eating out of Basan's hand.

"Is this what upset you?" Mustang asked, turning to Hughes. He was surprised at how calm his voice was.

"No," his friend replied, shaking his head. "There's more."

"More? How much more?" Roy demanded, feeling his stomach twist unpleasantly.

Maes pressed his lips together for a moment before he answered. "There are thirty-two canister of film labeled 'Precious'."

Roy turned his attention back to the scene playing before him. Thirty-two canisters of film? Were they all like this?

He continued watching and more scenes played out before them. It all had the same theme: Edward doing his best to be disobedient and then being punished for it. The punishments never seem to physically harm the boy; Basan instead seemed intent on causing fear, pain and humiliation.

In one scene Edward as bound and strung up by his ankles. Beneath him snarling, rabid looking dogs leapt and snapped at him. Ed looked positively terrified, hanging there defenseless. Roy immediately recalled the youth's reaction to Black Hayate and how he had climbed up the shelf. No wonder he was so afraid of dogs. That bastard, Cassius…

The Colonel was glad that the film had no sound as a water drenched Edward was repeatedly shocked with what appeared to be a cattle-prod. If he had to hear what was happening as well as see it, he wasn't sure he would've been able to keep watching this.

Then abruptly, the film was showing something of an entirely different nature. Roy watched for a moment, almost certain that he couldn't be seeing things right. But he was. There was no other way to interpret what was happening on screen.

"Maes…" he began. He couldn't watch any more.

"Yeah. I'll turn it off now."

Hughes stood stiffly and turned the projector off. Mustang watched him, his stomach turning uncomfortably and he wondered vaguely if he was going to be sick.

"Knox said he'd been sexually abused but…" the Colonel trailed off.

"It's one thing to know about it and another to see it," Hughes finished. "I know."

Both of them were silent for a moment. Then Mustang stood.

"I'm going back to the office. I have to be with Edward," he said. "And Maes…you had better make sure that Cassius Basan sees fit punishment for his crimes. Otherwise I'm coming after him and doing things my own way."

"Don't worry, Roy," Hughes responded. "There isn't any way I could do anything less. I can't find it in my heart to forgive a bastard who would film himself raping a twelve year old. I just don't have it in me."

Mustang looked at him for a moment and then nodded. He said a soft goodbye before leaving and returning to his office.

Right now, he needed to be with Edward.

* * *

When Roy arrived back at the office, it took him a second to spot Ed. The youth was seated at a table across from Havoc. Cards were spread out across the table and the second lieutenant was staring at them with a bewildered look. Edward himself was looking a little fidgety until he spotted Mustang. He was on his feet immediately, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Then everything came crashing down on the man full force.

Mustang now understood the seriousness of telling the youth that he was his Master. Edward could only associate him with Cassius; that evil, twisted, sick son of a bitch. Ed thought that Roy would hurt, beat, starve and rape him. And he was standing there smiling at him.

It disturbed Roy that Edward thought of him in the same terms as Cassius Basan. He might have done some terrible things in the war and he was very far from perfect but he would never be anything like that horrible monster, not _ever_. To think that Ed had been forced to endure such abuse for four whole _years_ broke his heart.

Before he knew what he was doing, Roy was holding Edward in a tight embrace. He pressed his mouth and nose into the top of the youth's head, arms wrapping tightly around him. After a moment of hugging, he spoke softly, his words intended only for Ed.

"I know what you've been through," Mustang said. "What that _bastard_ Basan did. I promise that I won't ever hurt you. That no one will. _Ever_. And I promise that you won't ever have to see…_Cassius_ again. Alright?"

Roy felt Edward shiver a little in arms and the golden head moved in a tiny nod.

They stay that way for a moment, but then Mustang heard a couple soft 'shwip' sounds. He blinked. That sounded like…cards. He glanced to Havoc, wondering if the second lieutenant was shuffling the cards but they were still on the table. Jean was looking at them eyebrows raised.

Suddenly self-conscious Roy released Ed from his embrace. The youth looked up at him, his cheeks flushed.

While they'd been hugging, the youth's arms had been at his sides. Because of that, a good number of cards had fallen out of his sleeves littering the floor around them. Mustang blinked, wondering what exactly this meant.

"You cheated…" Havoc said his cigarette hanging from his lips.

Ed quickly slipped behind Roy to hide and the colonel looked sharply at his subordinate. The strong protectiveness that welled up for the chimera must have shown on his face because Havoc immediately raised both hands in surrender and laughed good-naturedly.

"It's only a game!" the second lieutenant assured them. "No big deal! I don't mind!"

Mustang rubbed his face as Ed tentatively peeked out from behind him. Of course Havoc wasn't going to hurt Edward. But after viewing that film he was a turmoil of emotions. It was going to be impossible for him to sit at his desk and deal with paperwork. Edward and his well-being were the most important thing to him right now.

He sighed realizing Lieutenant Hawkeye would see to it he would feel the repercussions of his decision later. "Havoc, I'm taking the rest of the afternoon off," he said as he got his coat and started heading for the door. "Come on, Edward."

* * *

When they'd come to Mustang's house before, Ed had stayed in the car while his Master and the other soldier put their luggage inside. He couldn't help but think that the exterior of the house was rather ordinary. It looked like any of the other houses they had passed by driving around Central. It was respectable but certainly not impressive as Basan's mansion had been.

Ed had learned though that impressive was not always a good thing and he wondered nervously what sort of a laboratory a State Alchemist would have as he followed the Colonel inside.

"Take off your shoes," Mustang directed pulling off his own boots.

Edward crouched down and fumbled with the laces. He was only too happy to take them off. They were heavy and hot. He wiggled his toes in his socks. If he'd been given the choice he would've removed them too but it was still a big improvement.

His Master turned to Edward after hanging his own large black coat on a hook and took the cap off his head. "You won't be needing this here, either," he said smiling kindly at him.

Edward reached up to smooth back his hair, flicking his ears to get them comfortably back in place.

He took a look around as his Master led him into the living room or at least that was what Ed assumed it was. Edward's box of possessions and Mustang's luggage were sitting on the floor by entrance. There was a sofa and matching chair lost under a clutter of magazines and newspapers. There was a low table in front of it covered in coffee cups, pens, stacks of books and files. The room seemed to lack of personal effects other than an overstuffed bookcase, and radio off in the corner.

Compared to where Edward had been living before, the furnishings were meager but he definitely preferred this small, boring living room over Cassius' immense, lavishly decorated one. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the smell of coffee, dust, paper and Mustang. It was the same warm scent of masculinity he had breathed in when he'd been pressed up against the dark blue uniform. It made him feel safe like he had in his Master's embrace.

The alchemist gestured awkwardly to the room. "Sit down and make yourself at home. I'll get us something to eat but I don't think I have the energy to cook right now. Do you like takeout?"

Ed had no idea that was but it seemed unreasonable not to agree, "Yes, Master."

Mustang got a rather pained expression at his answer. "Alright I'll go order us something," he replied. He left and Ed was alone in the room.

Oh no! Did he give the wrong answer? How stupid was he? He couldn't even get that much right! He'd better start learning to please his new Master or who knew what would happen to him.

'Sit down and make yourself at home' he'd been told.

Edward looked at the mess on the furniture in front of him. Should he move it or risk sitting on top of it? He wasn't sure. He decided to do neither. Instead he carefully lift one corner of the open newspaper and slide his body beneath it. There, now he was sitting down.

The words 'make yourself at home' had no meaning for him so he decided to just sit there until his Master returned.

He could hear the Colonel taking on the phone in another room. He seemed to be a relatively good terms with the person he was speaking to.

"Yeah, it's a lot more than usual," he was saying. "My cousin's kid is staying with me for a while…." He must mean Edward. The youth's ears twitched with interest.

"Sixteen…," Mustang continued. He laughed pleasantly. "You're right about that…so about a half an hour then? ...Alright. Goodbye."

Ed heard the receiver being hung up and then the footsteps as the Colonel returned to the living room. He had a bewildered look as he came in.

"Edward?" he said. Then his voice took on an edge of panic. "Edward!" His Master hurried towards the front door.

"Yes, Master?" Edward answered meekly.

His Master stopped in his tracks and turned. It seemed to take him a moment to see Ed. His eyes widened in surprise and he laughed.

"There you are!" he exclaimed. "I didn't see you. I thought you'd run off."

It was Edward's turn to be surprised. He had tried to escape from Basan a total of twenty-seven times. Each time he'd been punished more horribly than the last. Even after his last attempt when he'd been outfitted with the shock collar thoughts of freedom had never left his mind. But since Mustang had become his Master and he had ample opportunity he hadn't tried to run away once.

"Well the food will be a while," his Master told him extending a hand to him and pulling him to his feet. "We might as well get you settled."

Mustang handed Edward his box of things. Then he picked up his suitcase and headed upstairs. The youth followed him.

He opened the door to one of the rooms. It was a roomy bedroom with tasteful wooden furniture. Ed was surprised to see that it was neat and orderly given the condition of the front room. Even the large double bed was made. Mustang deposited his luggage and crossed the hall.

He opened the door wide to another room and gestured Edward inside.

"This will be your room," his Master explained. "It's a little plain but it should do for now."

The room was white. It was a little dusty and looked as though it hadn't been used in a while. There was a bed, a nightstand, and a dresser inside.

After glancing around, Edward turned to Roy and nodded.

So this room was going to be his kennel. He made a silent promise to do his best to obey and please his Master. He would give the Colonel no reason to punish him. The less trouble he was, the less he would have to see this room. Perhaps if he was obedient he wouldn't have to spend a single night in here.

Roy walked over to the window and pulled back the drapes. "There isn't much of a view, " he said apologetically. "But when it warms up you can get some fresh air if you like."

He gestured to the dresser. "You can put your things in the drawers for now. Oh and look!" he said going to the door. "There's a lock on the door. So if you want you can lock _me _out!"

Edward wondered if he was joking or if it was a test. He already knew his Master was an alchemist – a _State_ Alchemist – a door with locks or even walls would mean nothing to him.

"So what do you think?" Mustang asked enthusiastically.

"Thank you, Master," the youth answered meekly shivering involuntarily. Basan's lessons had taught him he must be grateful for everything, even his punishments.

Again it must have been the wrong thing. The same look of pain passed over Mustang's face.

"Yes well finish putting your things away," he said sadly. "Then come downstairs Edward, we need to have a talk."

A talk? Was that good? Or bad? A talk probably meant that he would be told what he was doing wrong. And once he knew what he was doing to upset his Master, he could stop himself from doing it. He would be good. He would please his Master. Though slightly nervous, Ed began to feel a little relieved as he set to work unpacking his things.

* * *

Roy couldn't believe the amount of food that Edward managed to put away and the speed with which he did it. It might have been a side effect of having been starved because the youth seemed to be restraining himself and watching Mustang's reactions carefully. He tried to keep his face neutral, his voice pleasant and smile at Edward to put him at ease.

The meal was going well but when Edward reached over for something, he knocked over his drink.

Out of reflex Roy half-stood and reached out to catch it.

The youth cringed down, covering his head with his arms. "I'm sorry, Master!" he cried out meekly.

Edward's reaction sickened Roy. He couldn't help but remember all the horrors he'd seen on the films that afternoon. He stood up and got a cloth to wipe up the liquid that had splashed out of the cup.

"It's fine, Edward," he said kindly as he finished cleaning the mess. "It was an accident. But it is time we had that talk."

Edward lowered his arm to look at Roy standing next to the table. The older man met his gaze.

"I am not your Master," Roy stated firmly.

Edward's eyes got wide.

Not his Master?

Surely he wasn't going to get sent back to the mansion. The colonel had promised him in the office that he would never see Cassius Basan again. When he had held him. When Edward had felt warm and safe.

What then? Was Roy going to give him to someone else? To that Hughes friend of his?

NO! He didn't want another Master! Ed began to panic.

"I'll be a good boy!" Edward blurted out desperately. He got up from his seat and clutched at the older man's sleeve. "I'll be a very good boy! I promise! Just tell me what you want, and I'll do it!"

"You are good," Roy assured Ed. "You don't need to do anything."

And then it occurred to the youth. Anything. He would do _anything_. But there was really only one thing that he could do, that he was good for. Perhaps there was still a chance that Edward could make this man see he was worth owning.

Abruptly, Edward dropped to his knees, raising his hands to the front of Roy's pants, ready to undo them. Mustang was so taken aback by the sudden action that it wasn't until his zipper was down all the way that he jumped back, nearly tripping over his own feet. He looked at the youth in shock.

"What are you doing?" he snapped, silently cursing himself when Ed flinched at the sharp words. He took a breath while he pulled up his zipper and tried to speak levelly. "Edward, stand up."

The youth got to his feet, his hands balled up into fists.

"I'm not Cassius Basan," Mustang stated. "I am not going to rape you."

Rape him? Edward was shocked. What was he talking about? He wanted this more than anything in the world right now.

"But I _want_ to have sex with you," the youth argued. Was that what he wanted? Did he want him to beg for sex? Because he would do it if it meant he could stay.

"Maybe you believe that but I don't," Roy answered laughing bitterly. The way Edward was standing there, his fists clenched, his body tense, he looked miserable and frightened. If there was an opposite of seduction this had to be it.

The tips of Edward's claws bit into his palms. He dropped his head and his tail swished.

Mustang was laughing at him! Why?! He was trying his best. Why wouldn't the bastard give him a chance?

Furiously, and without thought, he grabbed onto the cup he'd spilled before and pitched it at the ground as hard as he could.

He blinked realizing what he'd done and then looked at the damage. On the floor scattered everywhere around him was broken glass. The glass he had been drinking out of had shattered quite spectacularly. There were tiny shards of it everywhere, spread out all across the kitchen.

The arm with which he'd knocked it flying off of the table was still extended. He let it drop to his side.

Edward looked up at Roy, horrified.

What had he done? If there had been any chance of him staying with the Colonel it was gone now – devastated along with the glass.

He was stupid and bad. Very, very bad.

He wasn't needed or wanted. The youth closed his eyes tightly. Of course Mustang wouldn't want a dirty disgusting chimera around. He was useless - utterly worthless to him. And for some reason that hurt Edward more than it should have.

His ears folded down. His tail drooped to the ground along with his gaze. With tears pricking his eyes, he swallowed hard.

"I'll go to my kennel," Ed said, head bowed. He shuffled off out of the room, heedless of the glass.

Mustang simply stood there for a moment alone. He was in shock momentarily unsure of what had just happened.

He hadn't expected Ed's reactions to be so negative. He had wanted to tell him that he was free. He thought he would be happy about it.

The expression of fury on his face when he'd sent the glass crashing to the floor was encouraging though. It was the same Edward he'd seen at the beginning of the films. He was still inside there somewhere.

Then Edward's parting words registered with him.

To his kennel? Edward didn't have a kennel. What was he talking about?

He stepped carefully through the glass in the direction that Ed had gone. The youth must not have as careful because there were a few pinpricks of blood making a trail through his house. Following it, he found himself standing outside of Edward's room. Mustang knocked gently before he opened the door.

Ed was in the farthest corner of the room in a fetal position; legs brought up close to his chest with his arms wrapped around them and his face buried in his knees. He was shaking a little and it took Roy a minute to realize that he was crying.

Edward thought that this was his kennel? Like that closet sized room Basan had in the lab? Was he expecting pain and punishment?

As if in answer to his question Edward quickly stood up his face full of dread. He rubbed at his eyes with his sleeve to dry them.

Mustang's heart went out to the youth and he crossed the room quickly, pulling him into an embrace for a second time that day. Ed flinched when he first touched him but quickly relaxed when Roy enveloped him in his arms. The youth sniffed audibly.

The Colonel let Ed go and handed him a hanky that had been, fortunately, in his pocket. "Here," he said. "Use this."

"Thank you, Master," Edward answered. He blew his nose.

"Edward, I told you," Mustang said kindly. "I'm not your Master. Don't call me that any more. My name is Colonel Roy Mustang. You can call me Colonel or Mustang or even Roy, but no more Master, alright?"

Edward looked at the floor in defeat and nodded.

"And this room is not your kennel," Roy continued. "This is your bedroom. It belongs to you just like my room belongs to me. As long as you're staying here you can do whatever you want in this room because it's yours. But you'll never be sent here for punishment."

"Wh-where…where is it?" Edward began, hiccuping a little.

"You don't have a kennel any more. You don't need one. You're…" Mustang swallowed hard, not really wanting to say it. "…a good boy."

Ed's eyes widened.

"Now," Roy said. "I am absolutely exhausted. Today's been hell for both of us. I'm ready for bed. What do you say you change into your pajamas?"

Edward glanced at him before looking down, bottom lip quivering slightly. "I don't have any."

"That's fine," Mustang said, silently cursing Basan. "I'll find you something and you can change."

Roy dug up another large shirt for him to wear. While Edward changed, he went downstairs and cleaned up their supper dishes and the broken glass. The youth showed up in the doorway just as he was finishing.

He looked somewhat nervous studying with the hem of the shirt.

"Yes Edward?" Roy asked as he dumped the last of the glass into the garbage.

"Mas…Mr. Colonel Roy Mustang, sir," he began hesitantly not looking up. "P-please…would it be…alright…if I slept with you?"

Mustang put the broom and dustpan away and walked over to the doorway shutting off the kitchen light. "I don't think that would be a good idea," he admitted. He really didn't want Edward to try and molest him again. Sleeping with him might encourage him.

"What if I…I have a nightmare?" Ed asked climbing up the stairs in front of him.

The Colonel considered it. It might be possible that he was really afraid of being alone. It obviously was important to him since he was asking.

"Alright," he agreed. "You can come in and sleep with me if you have a nightmare. But I want you to understand that it is to _sleep_ only."

Some of the tension visibly left Ed's shoulders at his word. They stood in the hallway between the two bedrooms. Edward looked apprehensively at his.

"Would you like me to stay with you until you fall asleep?" Roy asked.

Timidly, and with some hesitance, Ed gave a tiny nod.

"Alright then. Let me change and I'll be right in." Mustang said.

When he had changed into his pajamas and grabbed a book from his nightstand he went across the hall. Edward had slipped into bed beneath the covers but was to the far side of the bed so that there was enough room for Mustang. The man let out a sigh and lay down on top of the covers. He readied his book, sparing a glance at the youth beside him.

Ed was looking at him with half closed, golden eyes. They glinted in the dim light. The youth's hair shone as it spread out across the pillow his head was resting on. Roy swallowed, a little surprised that instead of finding Edward cute, he was finding him attractive.

He looked away from the youth, fixing his eyes on his book. What the hell? Since when did he have an interest in _teenage boys_?

He shook his head and tried to read. He must be tired. He must be really, really tired. He'd had a busy couple of days. It was understandable. He just needed to go to sleep. As soon as Ed was out, he would go back to his own bed and get some well-deserved rest.

He lay there reading for maybe twenty minutes before he checked on the youth again. His eyes were closed and he was breathing softly. Mustang smiled a little and sat up.

He turned off the light and snuck out of the room.

* * *

Just as Roy was just falling asleep he felt the mattress behind dip down behind him and a small warm body curl up against his back. He feigned sleep. He was just too tired to deal with Edward at the moment.

Perhaps Maes would be able to give him some advice tomorrow he thought as he drifted off.


	6. Chapter 6

This work is a collaboration between myself and phantasy . cat. Neither of us own Fullmetal Alchemist.

_Chapter #6_

Roy became aware of the sound of a motor running but he couldn't quite place it. It wasn't very loud so at first he thought it might be a neighbor's car running outside. Then sleepily he realized that the sound was too clear and too close.

At the same time he became aware of a rhythmic pressure on his side. He opened his eyes and blinked them into focus as he raised his head off the pillow and looked down beside him.

It was Edward. Mustang had totally forgotten that the youth had joined him in bed the night before. He had his face pressed up against the side of Roy's torso with one hand on either side of his face. First he would push with one hand and then the other in a kneading motion. His fingers were curled into the blankets between them.

The motor sound was coming from Ed.

It finally dawned on Roy the youth was purring.

Mustang let his head fall back down to the pillow and closed his eyes. He took it as a good sign. Ed must be sleeping soundly. Roy found the low droning sound comforting now that he knew its source. The kneading motion was almost like a one-sided massage. He started to drift back off to sleep.

He was almost there when he felt a slight prickling as Edward pushed against him. He managed to ignore it. It wasn't worth the effort of moving. Ed was so warm and comfortable next to him.

A moment later he flinched as the claws from Ed's hands scraped against his skin.

Still it wasn't that bad. He was tougher than that. He forced his body to relax as the purring and kneading continued.

Suddenly there was a stabbing pain in his side. Roy cried out and rolled away. He sat up, turning on the bedside lamp quickly. His heart was pounding as he lifted his pajama shirt. There were red scratches on his skin with tiny beads of blood starting to form.

"Master?"

Roy looked up.

Startled out of his sleep, Edward was sitting up looking at him in alarm. His ears were perked up through his tousled hair and his eyes were wide. His tail stuck up behind him, fluffed up like a large bottlebrush.

Mustang quickly lowered his shirt. There was no point to telling Edward that he had scratched him in his sleep. It would only upset him.

"It's nothing," he answered. "And I'm not your Master any more, remember?"

The tail and ears relaxed as youth lowered his eyes and nodded his head with a resigned acceptance.

Mustang glanced at the alarm clock. It was a bit early but he doubted he would get to sleep again if he climbed back into bed. "It's time to get up," he lied. "You should go get dressed."

Edward gave another small nod before he slipped out from underneath the covers and crawled across the bed. His tail flicked upwards and, wearing only the shirt, Mustang was rewarded with the sight of the youth's naked lower half. He looked away quickly, feeling blood rush to his groin.

'_I think I need to pay Madame Christmas and her girls a visit sometime soon,_' he thought to himself.

He waited until Edward left the room before he stood up to go into the bathroom to shower.

_**

* * *

  
**_

Edward padded into his bedroom sadly. He had fallen asleep hoping that the Colonel would change his mind about keeping him. He looked around and wondered what it would be like to stay. The room was simply furnished but comfortable. He sat down on the bed. It bounced slightly under his weight.

He breathed in deeply, mixed in with the stale air was Mustang's scent. He lowered his face to the comforter where the man had laid next to him the night before, closed his eyes and sniffed. His own breath mixed with the manly aroma. It was easy to picture himself wrapped in those strong, protective arms.

It was like a balm for Ed's soul. He felt safe. He could be happy here. He was sure of it.

He opened his eyes and sat up again. But that wasn't reality.

Edward knew he didn't deserve happiness. He was a wretched, contemptible animal; a foul vulgar thing that would be nothing but a burden to someone like Colonel Mustang. He was right to get rid of him. Who could blame him?

Gripping the edge of the bed Edward wondered what was going to happen to him. Who would Roy give him to? Who would be his Master now? He blinked back the tears that stung his eyes. He didn't want to go. Why couldn't he be good enough?

But keeping the Colonel waiting wasn't going to solve anything. He had better just do as he was told. Edward went over to the dresser that now held his belongings and began to dress.

_**

* * *

  
**_

Normally Roy would skip breakfast, but he didn't want to leave for work without feeding Edward. After searching he found some eggs and bread for toast, making a mental note to stop and stock up on groceries on his way home from work. The teenager was too scrawny. He would see to it that he was well fed.

"Mister Colonel Roy Mustang, sir?" a voice inquired interrupting his thoughts.

"Yes?" Roy responded, turning to look over his shoulder.

And he gaped.

Edward was standing there in an outfit that Mustang could safely say that he had never imagined on anyone male. A black, silken corset encased his torso from just under his armpits to the tops of his hips and the garters that hung from it held up long, dark stockings. Roy could only guess that what Ed had on underneath was supposed to be underwear, though it left nothing at all to the imagination. The Colonel wasn't sure he would be able to look at lingerie the same way ever again.

After a second of staring wide-eyed, he ripped his eyes from the youth and turned back to breakfast. Looking at the food he also found it easier to talk to Edward.

"Ah… Where did you get that from, exactly?" Mustang inquired.

"Master Cassius," the youth said timidly realizing he'd disappointed the Colonel yet again.

Basan. That explained it. Roy's anger flared but he ignored it, trying to keep his mind on the current predicament.

"Could you maybe find something a little less…revealing?" he asked, swallowing hard.

Edward folded his ears back and looked down at the ground. "Yes, sir," he said and left.

With Ed gone, Roy started cooking the eggs. He did his best to shove aside his angry thoughts of Cassius but they were very persistent. He intended to make the eggs over easy but he found scrambling them suited his mood better.

Then he started on the toast. Mustang had just closed the doors of the toaster when Ed came back wearing something else.

It was a maid's outfit this time, complete with high heels and an apron. It was black with a high collar and short sleeves. The skirt was indecently short and clung to Edward's thighs tightly and his apron was small, white, and had lace around the edges. It was an outfit that was obviously made for show and not practicality. Ed wobbled a little in the awkward shoes and tried to smile at Roy, ears twitching slightly.

"How about I help you get dressed," the Colonel suggested, leaving the toast and leading the youth upstairs.

"I'm sorry," Edward began about halfway up. "Am I doing something wrong?"

"It's the clothes," Roy attempted to explain. "They're too… We need to get you something more suitable..."

When they went into his room Mustang headed straight for the dresser and began rooting through it.

There was nothing in it that he considered to be clothing. It was all skimpy and revealing and the Colonel almost gave up on being able to find anything decent when he saw a piece of red material at the bottom of the drawer. He grabbed it and pulled.

A large piece of material unfolded as Roy pulled it free. He juggled it in his hands realizing after a moment that it was a long deep red coat with some sort of black symbol emblazoned on the back. He began to try and get a good look at it but it slid out of his hands and it hit the floor with a dull thump.

Thump? Why would a coat go 'thump' when it hit the floor?

It took a second for Roy to realize there must be something in one of the pockets.

Ed must have had the same thought. He took a step forward as if he was going to pick it up but he stopped dead in his tracks as soon as Roy laid eyes on him. He lowered his eyes to the floor not saying anything. His tail swished anxiously beneath the short black skirt.

Curiosity getting the better of him Mustang picked up the garment and started searching the pockets. The outside pockets were empty. But from the inner pocket he pulled out a small, fat, brown leather notebook.

He glanced up at Edward but he remained unmoving except for his tail that lashed from side to side.

Roy laid the scarlet coat on the bed and opened the small book. To his surprise it seemed to be a book on alchemy. The first few pages were basic transmutation circles, childishly but painstakingly copied, followed by more complex arrays and notes.

As Mustang flipped through the pages of the small notebook, his eyebrows went up. Though the written information seemed to switch to some sort of code, the diagrams became increasingly intricate and astounding. It was easy to see that this had belonged to someone with some serious alchemic talent.

Were these some of Basan's notes?

It didn't fit. The research they'd uncovered at the raid was nothing like this. The arrays from back at the mansion were overdone – made more to impress than for actual function.

These were perfection. He could almost see how the alchemic power would flow.

Roy closed the book to find a pair of yellow eyes watching him. When their eyes met Edward averted his gaze back to the floor.

"I'm sorry, Edward," Mustang said. "But I'm going to have to keep this for now. It might be evidence."

The youth looked back at him alarmed. "No!" he responded with an edge of panic in his voice. "It's mine!"

The man looked at him in surprise and then glanced back down at the book in his hands.

No. This couldn't belong to Edward. Could it? This book belonged to a talented alchemist, that much was obvious. It was almost easier to believe that it belonged to Cassius. Almost.

"Do you have any proof?" Roy asked, watching as the youth hesitated slightly.

"Open the front page," Ed answered, tail flicking nervously.

He flipped open the cover of the small book and there, in a childish script, was written the words 'Property of Edward Elric'.

"Impossible." Roy breathed looking at the writing in amazement. But was it?

He looked up at Ed who gave him a tiny smile.

Then Roy smelled smoke.

Smoke! The toast! He'd totally forgotten!

He pressed the small book into Edward's hands and ran downstairs into a smoke filled kitchen.

_**

* * *

  
**_

Roy stomped into the office and shook the snow from his great coat before hanging it up on its hook. He glanced at the clock; right on time as usual, but he didn't know how he was going to bear the next eight hours. He knew already that he wouldn't be able to stop thinking about Edward. After the burnt toast incident, Mustang had to leave for work right away and he'd left Ed alone in the house, still dressed in the maid outfit.

Would the youth be alright by himself? Would he get bored? Would he be able to make himself something to eat on his own?

He let out a small sigh and shook his head, wondering vaguely if this was how Hughes felt everyday when he got to work. Damn, How could his friend even leave the house?

Roy went and sat down at his desk. The surface of it was covered in neat stacks of papers. He picked up the top file closest to him and opened it. Instead of seeing some dull report, he saw the thick little notebook in his hand filled with the scrawled handwriting and transmutation circles.

"It's mine!" Edward had said.

And the name on the cover of the book supported the youth's story.

But how was it possible?

He doubted that the youth would have learned alchemy under Basan being his sex slave. Could Edward have actually been an alchemist of that caliber when he was only twelve? Or even more improbably – had Knox been right? Had Edward already preformed human transmutation by then and lived to tell the tale?

It was all so difficult to believe. Each question he asked himself seemed more wild and unbelievable than the next. He tried to reason the answers out.

There was Ed's scarring. Knox saw it as conclusive evidence. Possible, but even as a pathologist what did Knox really know of human transmutation?

Mustang tried to think back on anything else that might give him a clue. If Edward was an alchemist, then why hadn't he escaped from Basan? All he would have needed were the materials to draw a transmutation circle. Was it possible the youth hadn't known what transmutation circle to use? But from the notes in the notebook he was incredibly talented.

Then again…

Roy had a vague recollection of some strange transmutation circles in the background of the films Hughes had shown him. In fact, he had seen a few odd arrays around Basan's place when he'd been there and they were bothering him now for some reason. He'd been too upset to study them before but now, he decided, he should get a better look at them.

He tossed the file back onto its pile and picked up the phone. He'd call Maes. He wanted to talk to him about why Edward was having such a bad reaction to being free anyway.

The phones rang twice before his friend picked up.

"Hughes here."

"Maes, it's Roy," the Colonel answered.

"Good morning, Roy," the man greeted him cheerfully.

"Maybe for you," Mustang grumbled.

"Why? Is something wrong?" Hughes asked immediately, concern slipping into his voice.

"There are a few things I'd like to discuss about the Basan Case," Roy said in way of explanation.

"Well," Hughes replied and Mustang could hear a faint shuffling of papers. "I'm pretty busy this morning but we could meet for lunch if that's okay."

Roy's heart sunk a bit. He didn't want to have to wait all morning to talk to Maes. But then, Hughes did have a heavy workload right now.

"Alright," he agreed reluctantly. "I'll see you then."

"Great!" Maes answered enthusiastically. "It will give me a chance to show you my newest pictures of Elicia when she-!"

"Fine," Roy said abruptly, cutting him off. "Goodbye, Hughes."

He hung up the phone without waiting for an answer and looked up at the clock again.

Only five minutes had passed. It was going to be a long morning.

_**

* * *

  
**_

By the time two and a half hours had passed, Roy had worked his way through as many piles of paperwork on his desk. Over the course of the morning his subordinates had learned to leave him alone. He was in a bad mood. He knew he was being short-tempered but he couldn't help himself. The waiting was driving him crazy.

Finally, he could take it no longer and even though it was still early, Roy decided to head over to Investigations and convince Maes to take his lunch a bit sooner than usual. It was Friday after all. He would even suffer through the family photos if he had to.

No one was left in the office. They had all found excuses to be elsewhere, even Hawkeye. So he left without being challenged.

The hallways were nearly empty so Roy was making good time on his way to Hughes' office. He was nearly there when he rounded a corner and found himself being blocked by Alex Louis Armstrong.

Roy groaned inwardly. How could he not have heard the Major coming?

"Colonel Roy Mustang!" Armstrong boomed. "How are you this fine day?"

"I'm wonderful, Major," the man responded. He opened his mouth to say that he was busy but the hulk of a man cut him off.

"That's very good, Colonel. I myself feel the same! It has been a glorious morning!" Armstrong said and for a moment Roy was afraid he would flex his muscles. Fortunately, he didn't. "I've been escorting young Russell Tringum here, showing him about military headquarters."

'_Russell Tringum? Who's Russell Tringum?_' Mustang thought although the surname did sound vaguely familiar. It was then that he noticed a blond man standing just behind the Major.

He was just a bit shorter that Roy himself and was thus, consequently, dwarfed by Armstrong. His blond hair was short though his bangs hung in his face, and he had steel colored eyes. And there was something a bit off about him… Ah, that was it. He looked young. Like he was still in his teens. Why was some teenager getting toured around HQ?

Mustang decided that he didn't care. He wanted get to Hughes' office.

"Ah. Very good of you, Major," Roy said with a nod. "How do you do, Mr. Tringum?"

"Oh, that's right!" Armstrong butted in again at that moment. "The two of you have yet to be introduced!"

'_Please, don't start introductions, Alex_,' the colonel pleaded silently in his head. No such luck, however.

"Colonel," the Major began. "This is Russell Tringum. He's here to take the State Alchemist's Exam. If he succeeds he will be the youngest State Alchemist in history; he's only fifteen!"

There was a note of pride in Armstrong's voice and Roy nodded, wanting this to be over and done with.

"Russell, this is Colonel Roy Mustang," announced the Major in his booming voice. "The Flame Alchemist!"

"It's a pleasure," Mustang said.

"Oh, Colonel Mustang," Russell began enthusiastically. "It is such an honor to meet you, sir."

He offered Roy his hand and Mustang extended his reluctantly.

The youth shook it as he continued, "The Flame Alchemist! My brother, Fletcher, will be so jealous when I tell him that I've met you. He and I have to be two of your biggest supporters. Might I say, sir, that your alchemy is amazing!"

"Thank you," Roy answered dryly pulling his hand from the younger man's grasp. Another day he would be happy to entertain a fan but he just didn't have time for this right now.

"And your war record!" the youth exclaimed. "It's outstanding! An inspiration! I only hope that one day I might be your subordinate. I feel that there is so much that you could teach me. I mean you are the master of Flame Alchemy after all!"

Mustang found his curiosity pique despite himself. "You're a flame alchemist?" he asked, wondering if he was going to have some up and coming competition.

Russell laughed. "Oh no! Not me! Fletcher and I we both take after our father and do botanical alchemy. Perhaps you've heard of him – Nash Tringum?" the youth asked eagerly. "He was involved in some research for the military."

Ahhhh, so that was where Roy had heard the name Tringum before. Nash Tringum. He didn't remember much about his alchemic talents but he did remember his bad fashion sense. He always wandered around with a very ugly hat and a shapeless sack of a coat to match.

"Yes," Roy admitted, but now he was becoming truly irritated.

"Perhaps working with the military will become a tradition carried on by the Tringums for generations!" Armstrong exclaimed.

"Yes," The youth grinned. "I've been studying very hard for the exam. Is it hard?" he asked Mustang.

"Very," Roy stated vaguely, hoping that these two would find someone else to occupy their time with soon.

"That's what everyone says," Russell laughed. "I couldn't be better prepared for it though. I've had a lot of help from the friends that we're staying with."

"Ah, you must have great friends. How wonderful it is that they aid you in your time of need," Armstrong sniffled tearily.

Mustang rolled his eyes. The youth seemed be laying things on thick. He kind of came off as one of those suck up types and the Colonel just didn't like it.

"How nice," he said.

"Well, Colonel Mustang, what brings you here?" the Major finally asked.

"I have an important meeting with the head of Investigations. It about a recent case," Roy said, trying to make it sound as important as he could.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry for wasting your time!" Armstrong exclaimed. Mustang nodded, just wanting to leave already. "We'll be out of your way now. Come along, young Tringum!"

"It was nice to meet you, sir," Russell said quickly. "I really hope that once I enlist I can work with you."

Mustang gave the two of them a curt nod and a quick mumbled good-bye and was on his way.

As he walked up to the corner at the end of the hall Roy checked his pocket watch. Damn. Now he was late. He was tucking the watch back into his pocket when he turned into the next hall, only to see another young blond boy.

The boy had his hand on the door to Hughes' office and seemed like he was about to go in. When he looked up and saw Roy approaching he quickly withdrew his hand and put both of them behind his back.

He blinked and smiled at Roy shyly. "Excuse me, sir. I'm lost. I'm looking for Russell Tringum…?"

It clicked immediately in Mustang's mind. This must be the brother that Russell had mentioned. Fletcher or something. Well he didn't want to go through that again.

"He's just down the hall to the right with Major Armstrong," Roy directed sharply.

"Thank you," the boy said and quickly hurried away.

Roy shook his head as he let himself into Hughes' office. Kids in the military? Who the hell had come up with that idea? Mustang knew that he would never suggest something so stupid. He hoped that Russell didn't get assigned to his unit.

Maes' crowded office was empty when Roy entered. The Colonel took a seat among the filling cabinets and bookcases to wait for his friend. He noticed a photograph sticking out of a file and picked the folder up absentmindedly. He opened it half expecting it to be filled with photos of Elicia on her birthday.

Instead, the pictures were of Basan's house on the night of the raid. He shuffled through them quickly until he came to the one of Edward looking at the camera. His ears were perfect triangles poking through the blond hair and golden eyes were wide in surprise.

Mustang heard the door open and turned to see Maes coming in.

"Oh, sorry to keep you waiting," Hughes began. He was carrying some boxes in his arms and crossed the room, dropping them off on his desk. "I'm running a little late."

"It's okay," Roy said, fingering the photo in his hand. "I just got here myself."

Maes looked over his shoulder. "Oh, good. The lab finished developing those. I'll have to have them sent to the evidence room after lunch."

"Would you mind if I kept this one?" Roy asked, showing him the picture of Ed.

Hughes smiled. "He sure is cute, isn't he? No, go ahead. We still have the negatives. I can get another print if I need one."

"Speaking of which," Mustang continued as he stood up tossing the file back onto the desk. "I'd like copies of any that have transmutations circles in them."

"Sure," Hughes replied looking at his friend with interest. "Is this something to do with Edward?"

"Yes, there's something that's really been bothering me," Mustang admitted, slipping the photograph inside his jacket pocket. "I think that Edward may have been an alchemist before he was turned into a chimera."

"An alchemist?" Maes repeated, eyebrows going up.

"And he may have performed human transmutation," Roy finished, feeling almost embarrassed about saying it.

Hughes whistled. "Human transmutation! It's pretty rare that a person even lives through that, isn't it? What makes you think that Edward has done human transmutation?"

"Well…" Mustang began. "Knox was the one to suggest it. After he saw Edward's scarring he said that he suspected him of having attempted it." He shrugged, ran his fingers through his hair and started to pace. "I thought it was ridiculous too but this morning I found a notebook in with Edward's things. Inside is all this…research...arrays and, well, its obvious that it's the notebook of a talented alchemist," he explained. "Edward claimed it was his. And his name was in the front cover but…"

"But you have a hard time believing it," Maes finished for him.

"Would anyone believe it!?" Roy asked facing him. "It just seems so impossible. He's sixteen. So unless he was learning alchemy when he was with Basan, he would have had to have been an accomplished alchemist at the age of twelve."

"Unlikely but its not impossible," Hughes corrected him. "Have you seen him do any alchemy?"

Roy hesitated. "No."

"Have you talked to him about it?"

"No," Mustang answered again remembering the disastrous morning he had dealing with a smoke filled kitchen. "There wasn't time."

Maes leaned against his desk and shrugged. "Well maybe you should just ask him about it."

"I suppose," Roy agreed. "I must admit though, Edward is a complete mystery to me."

"How so?" inquired Maes.

"He reacted very badly when I told him he was free," Roy explained. "At first he was so angry and now…well since then…he seems all…depressed. Shouldn't he be happy about it?"

His friend laughed a little. "Don't you remember what we learned in basic training about being brainwashed?"

Roy frowned. "No," he admitted.

"People who are mistreated and abused often come to think that they deserve it and actually form attachments to their abusers," Hughes explained. "Although you're right, with Edward, it's honestly hard to predict how he will react. He is a human-cat chimera. But it's safe to say he will need a lot of time and support to get through this."

"I know he won't recover overnight," Roy replied frustrated. "I just wish there was something I could do to cheer him up."

Hughes smiled at him and patted his shoulder. "Well," he suggested. "How about a birthday party?"

Mustang blinked and looked at Hughes confused. "What?"

"A birthday party," Maes repeated. "He said that he turned sixteen recently, right?"

"Yes, he did," Roy said, remembering that Edward had mentioned just having had a birthday back in the hotel when Maes had first interviewed him. "But I wouldn't know the first thing about throwing a birthday party."

"We'll do it at my house," Hughes said with a grin. "The two of you can come over tomorrow afternoon. We just celebrated Elicia's birthday so we still have candles and balloons. And I know Gracia would love to bake another cake. And oh! Elicia will be so excited to have company!"

"Well, we could," Mustang said. Taking Edward out for a few hours might distract him for a bit. It would just be the five of them and Ed already knew him and Hughes. He doubted that the youth would see Gracia or Elicia as threatening. "But are you sure it would be alright with Gracia? I wouldn't want to intrude…"

"Gracia's been saying that we should have you over for ages now," Hughes assured him with a dismissive wave. "What do you say?"

"Okay," Roy agreed. The more he thought about it the better the idea sounded. Since he was going to do some shopping on his way home from work anyway, he'd be able to pick up some small gift. "Tomorrow afternoon it is."

"Good! Elicia hasn't seen her Uncle Roy in far too long," Hughes chastised him. "You missed her birthday!"

"Maes, I was working," the Colonel said in his defense.

"I know but she really missed you. Don't you look forward to see her smiling, little, angelic face again?" grinned Hughes.

"I see photographs of it everyday," Roy complained good-naturedly.

"Funny you should mention that," his friend laughed putting an arm around Roy and steering him towards the office door. He patted his jacket pocket. "I have some right here. Come on I'll show them to you over lunch."

Mustang sighed theatrically but let himself be guided. He could always count on Hughes for sensible advice.


	7. Chapter 7

This work is a collaboration between myself and phantasy . cat. Neither of us own Fullmetal Alchemist (or The Coelum Philosophorum).

Also… I'm _**ALIVE!!!**_

Yes. I'm _alive_ and working some more on this fic with phantasy . cat. Sorry for not updating sooner. Real life took over. Stuff happened. Blah, blah, blah… But who wants to hear about that?

I took the time to pretty up some of the previous chapters. No new lines or anything big like that. I was just cleaning up some grammar mistakes that were driving me nuts. Hopefully, they look better and make a bit more sense.

Oh! And I've been watching the new FMA. It's _so_ good! More like the manga, which makes me happy because that means there's Ling in it! Ha, ha! Yay, Ling!

Anyway, on to the chapter!

_Chapter #7 _

Mustang couldn't shake the feeling that he had forgotten something when he came home with all of his purchases. He'd left work as early as he could manage so he could pick up decent clothes for Edward and stock up on groceries as well.

It was later than he expected. It was already dark and he struggled getting his key in the door. He finally managed to get inside with all of his bags and packages. He set them down and flicked on the light.

The house looked like it usually did when he came home – deserted and lonely. Roy couldn't help but feel disappointed. He'd been hoping that Edward might've been there to greet him. Maybe he hadn't heard him come in?

Roy stomped his boots a couple of times, even though they weren't particularly snowy, before he took them off. He hung up his long black coat then picked up the bags and carried them into the kitchen. He turned on the light to find the mess from the morning all cleaned up.

He unpacked the groceries and put them away. He was pretty proud of his choices. He'd made an effort to buy food that was easy to prepare but still nutritious. Carrots! He smiled to himself. What an ingenious vegetable. They didn't have to be cooked or even cut up. What could be more hassle free? Maybe having Ed around would help him eat better.

It would be easier to cook for two and it was nice to share meals with someone. Though, tonight he thought that they could make due with sandwiches. He left bread and a stick of sausage out on the counter. He was too tired from work and his shopping spree to start cooking a big meal.

He wondered if Ed would be hungry. He couldn't tell if he had eaten lunch with the kitchen free of its usual clutter. All of the dishes had been washed and put away.

No. Not all of the dishes.

In the corner of the kitchen by the back door were two of Roy's soup bowls. One had some crumbs left in it and the other was half full of water. They were sitting side by side, like one might find for a dog or cat.

Mustang felt his temper flare. He strode over, picked them up, and put them in the sink.

Since Edward still hadn't made an appearance Roy decided to look for him. He picked up the bags of clothes that he had bought off the kitchen table and headed upstairs. It was just as dark as the rest of the house. Mustang turned the lights on as he went, wondering if perhaps Ed had fallen asleep. They had gotten up pretty early.

He knocked gently on the bedroom door that belonged to the youth before opening it. "Ed, it's Roy," he called softly, not wanting to startle him. Who knew how Edward would react? "I'm going to turn on the lights."

He flicked on the bedroom lights. The room was the same as when he left that morning. The bed was made and the different outfits that Ed had worn that morning, including the maid's uniform, were strewn across it. The long red coat as well, rumpled and in a pile.

But no Edward.

Roy was stumped. Where would he be if not in his room? Then again, Ed had called the room his 'kennel' the night before. Maybe he was afraid to stay in there?

Mustang checked the bathroom.

"Edward?" he inquired as he stuck his head inside. The room was empty.

Maybe he'd fallen asleep in Roy's room? Mustang opened his own bedroom door and turned on the light.

"Edward!" he called a bit more sharply.

The bedroom was exactly the way he'd left it that morning. Panic began to fill him. Where could Ed be? Had he run away? And if he did, what the hell was he wearing? He could see the pile of clothes that Hawkeye had gotten him still sitting on his laundry hamper and all of those ridiculous outfits were still in his room. Even the red coat was left behind on the bed.

An image of Edward curled up naked and frozen in the snow sprung into his mind.

"Edward!" he called louder. He spun on his heels and was about to head back downstairs to do a more thorough search when he heard a scuffling sound.

He stopped and listened. The noise repeated itself and he realized it was coming from behind him – from his room. He turned to look over his shoulder in time to see first one hand and then another appear from underneath his bed. The hands were followed by a golden head with two pert triangular ears. A pair of tawny eyes blinked up at him.

Relief flooded Roy as Edward crawled out from underneath his bed. He was wearing the same T-shirt of Roy's that he'd slept in the night before. He stood up, making a bit of a face as he rubbed one of his eyes with a fist and his tail swished back and forth behind him.

"What were you doing down there?" Mustang asked.

Ed yawned before responding, "Sleeping." He cocked his head a little, blinking at Roy. "Why?"

"Most people don't sleep _underneath_ the bed," Roy said before he could stop himself.

Edward's eyes widened a little and he shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mister Colonel Roy Mustang, sir. I… It was just nicer under the bed and I… Sorry." He caught his tail and started playing with the end of it.

"It's alright," the Colonel answered smiling at him. "No need to apologize. You can sleep underneath the bed if you want. It's fine. And you can just call me either Roy or Mustang, alright?"

"Yes, Mister Colonel Mustang, sir," Ed said with a swift bob of his head.

"Uh… No," Roy said, trying not to laugh at the list of names youth was adding together. "I mean, you don't need to address me as Mister or Colonel. Just Roy, alright? Nothing but my name. Like how I call you Ed or Edward, not Mister Edward Elric, sir."

"Oh," the youth said, looking down.

"Well, come on. Try it," the Colonel encouraged.

"Okay…" Ed said, glancing up shyly, his cheeks quickly turning red. "…Roy."

"That's better," Roy said approvingly.

The teenager peered at him through his long blond bangs then offered him a timid smile.

Mustang returned it and then remembered the bags in his hand. "Here, these are for you," he said holding out the brown paper shopping bag.

Ed let his tail drop from his hands as he took the bag from Roy and peered into it curiously. Then he looked up at Mustang. "Clothes?"

"Yes," the Colonel confirmed. "While you get dressed, I'll go downstairs and make supper." He gave the youth another quick smile and left.

_**

* * *

  
**_

Edward took the bag to his room and dumped it out on the bed. There were three packaged shirts, two pairs of pants, one navy and one dark brown, some socks, two T-shirts, a package of underwear as well as a set of flannel pajamas.

The clothes all smelled new and stiff. He imagined they would feel as stuffy and uncomfortable as the clothes he'd arrived here in. He didn't like the idea of having to keep his tail inside one of his pant legs again. It was so confining and made him feel off balance. And the socks. Those would be even worse.

He would rather just wear what he had on. The large T-shirt was soft. It covered everything but still let him move freely.

But if his Mast-…if _Roy_ wanted him to wear these things he would. It was the least he could do to please him.

Edward used one of his claws to slice open the package of underwear. There were several pairs of boxers in it. He took a light blue pair and stepped into them, tucking his tail through with one of his legs. They slid up easily.

In fact a bit _too_ easily. When he let them go they dropped low on his hips.

Well the pants would keep them up anyway, he thought, picking up the dark brown ones off of the bed. He put one leg in and then the other struggling to get his feet all the way through the legs, they seemed to go on forever. When he pulled them up to do up the waistband he found that it already was done up.

What the hell!? Who were these clothes made for?

He had to let go of the pants to put on one of the shirts. He chose a plaid one and it took some time to take out all of the pins that held it into place in the package. He put it on but it was huge! The hem came to his knees. He had to keep pushing the sleeves back up his arms while he was struggling to do up the buttons and while he was doing that the pants slid halfway down his thighs taking the boxers with them.

Edward eyed the socks but there was just no way. He pulled up his pants and gathering them around his waist and made his way downstairs. He stepped carefully so he wouldn't trip on the long legs bunched around his feet.

In the kitchen, the table was set for two and the Colonel was bringing over a plate of sandwiches. Ed could see the thick slabs of sausage piled up between the slices of bread. The smell of the spicy meat erased every other thought from his head, his mouth starting to water.

"I guess the clothes are a bit big, huh?" Mustang said with a smile.

It took effort for Edward to pull his attention away from the food but he looked at the older man incredulously. A _bit_ big? Any bigger and the clothes would fall right off of him!

"Well, we'll take care of that after we eat," Roy said pulling out a chair and indicating Ed should do the same. "Dig in."

The youth sat down as best he could and reached out to pick up a sandwich. He kept an eye on the older man for any sign that it might be a trick but Mustang seemed occupied with eating himself. He took one and had a large bite. It was every bit as delicious as he thought it would be. He had gulped it down, barely chewing it, before he realized the man was watching him eat with an amused expression.

Feeling self-conscious he slowed down as he swallowed the last of it. He lowered his hands to his lap and looked down at his plate. He couldn't help but steal glances at the rest of the food.

Mustang chuckled. "Have another one Ed," he said kindly. "Eat as much as you like but try to slow down. You're going to choke if you keep eating that fast."

Edward smiled sheepishly and tentatively helped himself to another sandwich. He concentrated on eating slower. It was hard since the meat was so delicious but he didn't want to disappoint Roy. He enjoyed eating meals at the table with him.

Edward knew it was more than he deserved. By rights he should be underneath the table eating scraps. He was just an animal that hadn't done anything to earn its keep. And yet here he was being treated as if he were a human being. It was too good to be true.

Mustang couldn't help but smirk at Edward as he finished off the last sandwiches. He could see how much effort he was putting in to eating slower. To hide his amusement he got up from the table and busied himself by clearing the dishes.

After that was done he turned and studied the youth still seated at the table. Automatically, Ed's ears twitched downwards. The problem of resizing the teenager's clothes was clearly more of a priority.

"Now to the problem at hand," Roy said. "Come with me, Edward."

Ed had some difficulty with his clothes as he got up from the table but managed to catch up to Mustang as he was opening the door to his den. The air inside was stale but still smelled pleasantly of leather and books.

Roy switched on the desk lamp flooding the room with a warm golden light. He wondered vaguely why he didn't spend more time in here as he selected some books that he needed from the shelves.

As he took them back to the desk he realized that Edward was standing just inside the door gaping at the rows of bookshelves lining the walls. Poor guy. Roy had a tendency to forget how impressed people were with State Alchemists.

"Come in," Mustang instructed kindly. "Take your clothes off and put them on the desk. This shouldn't take long.

Obediently Ed's pants and boxers dropped to the floor. He started undoing the buttons on the front of his shirt.

Roy raised his eyebrows. Not quite what he had intended. Thankfully the youth's shirt was long enough to cover everything.

"Ahhh…keep your boxers on," Roy said, reconsidering. "Then have seat." He waved his hand in the direction of one of the leather chairs across from his desk.

He sat down behind the desk and set to work on the transmutation circle. The problem wasn't particularly difficult but Roy had to admit that he'd fallen out of practice. These days he relied rather heavily on other people's efforts.

As he worked he became aware of a soft, rhythmic noise. He glanced up to see Ed curled up in the chair opposite him grooming himself much like a cat would. He would lick the back of his hand, rub it over his ear and then lick it again. He had his eyes closed and seemed relaxed.

Mustang went back to work happy the youth had found a way to amuse himself. Brushing up on his alchemy was proving to take more time than he thought. He had to concentrate. Transmutation circles weren't as easy as he remembered but he was determined. After a couple of tries but he was coming close to an array that he was happy with.

Roy sat back to survey his work. He glanced up at Edward who was now licking his stomach then returned to his project. After a moment, it registered in Mustang's brain that licking your stomach wasn't something that a normal person could do. He looked up again.

Yes, Edward was licking his bare stomach. The boxers the youth was wearing had slipped dangerously low. His eyes were still closed so he was oblivious to the fact that Roy was watching.

It was fascinating. Edward was so lean and flexible. The power of the muscles moving beneath the smooth skin was easy to see as the youth dragged his pink tongue over his lower abdomen.

Roy couldn't help but remember the feel of that delightful mouth from the morning in the hotel room. His cock responded and he swallowed hard. Also from Ed's position Mustang couldn't help but wonder if the youth wouldn't be able to put his mouth on his own cock.

As if in answered to his unspoken question, the waistband slipped down and Ed's tongue ran itself over the golden curls that peeked through.

"Edward!" Roy cried out with an edge of panic in his voice.

Startled the youth sprang to his feet instantaneously. His eyes wild with panic and his tail fluffed; he looked posed for flight. The pale blue boxers hung precariously from the slender hips and Mustang had trouble looking anywhere else. Roy closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath to try to get himself under control.

"Edward," he said opening his eyes and addressing the youth more calmly. "What are you doing?"

The teenager stood in front of the desk wide-eyed. "I was having a bath," he explained, the confusion evident in his voice. "I have a bath every day."

The thought did nothing to abate the throbbing of Roy's cock. He quickly tried to bring another image to mind. Something much less pleasant…

Armstrong in a miniskirt. Urgh…

"If you want to have a bath or a shower," Roy informed him. "Do it in the bathroom, alright?"

"Alright, Roy," Ed agreed. His heart was still pounding and he was tense.

Mustang smiled at the use of name. "Alright then," he said. "Now I'd like to talk to you about the notebook from this morning."

Edward fidgeted a little, tail swishing behind him. He had hidden it beneath the bottom drawer in the dresser upstairs. He didn't want to give it up now that he'd found it again. Holding the small leather book in his hands brought the memories of happier times flooding back.

"It was full of alchemic research," continued Mustang. "So, it's lead me to wonder… Are you an alchemist?"

The youth moved uneasily, clearly displaying his discomfort. Ed wasn't really sure how to approach the subject. After everything that had happened…his mother…the transmutation…Alphonse…his automail and how he had ended up with Cassius Basan…

"I…used to be," Edward responded softly, biting his bottom lip.

"Used to be?" Roy repeated.

"Master Cassius forbid me from performing alchemy. When I tried…" Ed swallowed hard and studied the rug. "When I tried, he would punish me..."

Edward glanced up at the man and was surprised to find him smiling a little.

"But you remember alchemy, right?" Roy asked. "You could still perform it?"

"I…" the youth began hesitantly. "I think so."

"Do you know what this is?" the Colonel asked him pushing a piece of paper across the desk towards him.

Ed looked at it. It was an array, a proficient one but its use was pretty straightforward.

"It's a transmutation circle," he answered carefully. Basan was never happy if Ed showed he was more adept at alchemy than him. He wasn't sure where Mustang's questions were leading.

"Do you know what it's for?" the older alchemist prompted.

"This one is to make my clothes the right size," Edward answered, studying Mustang for any sign of displeasure.

But he smiled broadly. "That's right!" he exclaimed. "And I want you to do the transmutation!"

The words stunned him. Transmutation? Roy wanted him to actually perform a transmutation? Was it a trick? It had to be. But there was no evidence of trickery in his demeanor.

Mustang sensed his hesitation. "Please. It would make me happy."

Edward walked to the corner of the desk to where the clothes were piled. It couldn't hurt, could it? It was just a basic transmutation after all… He took a small breath. Then he clapped his hands and laid them on top of the clothing and let the power flow through him.

It was just as Edward remembered it. It was like a power had engulfed his entire being and was being channeled through his fingertips. Performing alchemy had always been exhilarating and addictive to the youth but now he could strongly recall why. This was his passion. This was what gave him strength. This was what had once made him what he once had been; a brave, protective older brother.

He loved alchemy.

Adored it.

Then the transmutation was over and the feeling was cut off abruptly. He was standing beside the desk alone, powerless, and defenseless. He wasn't strong or brave, or anything. All that had been stripped away from him a long time ago.

He was nothing.

He turned to look at Mustang and found the man staring at him in shock.

"You… How did you do that?" Roy asked.

It took a minute for Edward to understand why the man looked so surprised but then realization hit and his eyes widened.

"You didn't use a transmutation circle," Mustang marveled. "How… How is that even possible?"

"I…" Ed began. "It… I'm sorry. I just… I thought… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

"Stop apologizing and explain," the man said, a note of concern slipping into his voice. "It's impossible to perform alchemy without a circle. How did you do that?"

"I… It's…" Ed stuttered. He grabbed hold of his right arm reflexively. "I don't want to… I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to."

Mustang began piecing two and two together. Ed had touched his right arm a couple times when they had gotten on to the more sensitive subjects. And the youth's right arm had that scar… Knox had suggested that the scaring around his limbs came from performing human transmutation. And then there was Ed's notebook – the one that appeared to have bee written in by a talented alchemist. Did that mean that Ed really had…?

"Edward," Mustang said softly. "I'm going to ask you something and I need you to answer honestly, okay?"

Tentatively, the youth nodded.

"Did you performing human transmutation?"

Ed's eyes went wide and his ears went back. He took a nervous breath and bit his bottom lip, looking away from the man.

"Y-yes," he answered.

So it was true. Knox had been right. Mustang wasn't sure how he felt about this sudden discovery. He tried to clear his head, taking a deep breath.

Roy was silent for a while and Edward began to worry. Why did the Colonel have to ask that question? He would despise him now. He could already see himself getting thrown out into the streets…

"Why did you do it?" Roy asked and Ed looked at him, blinking. "There must have been a reason."

There was no point in hiding anything. The colonel would find out eventually. The youth took a breath and gave his answer.

"Mom died. We wanted her back. We were stupid and did the wrong thing. It's all my fault."

"Your mother…" Mustang repeated. It was only natural for a boy to want his mother back. But… "You said 'we'. You didn't perform the transmutation alone?"

"No," Ed said, shaking his head. "My younger brother, Alphonse, he helped. We did it together. I talked him into it."

"And you lost your limbs?"

"I lost my leg," Ed responded.

Mustang blinked. "But what about the scar on your arm?"

Edward hesitated but, after a short pause, began to explain. "When we tried to bring back Mom… It took my leg and my brother's body in exchange. But I… I couldn't let that happen to Al. He was my little brother. He was my… His _is_ my only family. I gave up my arm to… I sacrificed it…"

Mustang was amazed. So Edward had not only tried to perform human transmutation once, but twice? That was… He had to know more before he started making assumptions.

"You tried to bring him back from the dead as well?" he asked straightforward.

"No. That's impossible. And he wasn't _dead_ exactly. I… I sealed his soul to a suit of armor," Ed replied, looking down. "It was…the only thing I could think of…"

"What happened? Did the transmutation work?" the man felt compelled to ask.

"Yes. But I wanted to restore Al's body. I… I had to make it right. It was my fault so it was up to me to fix things. I was trying to find a way…" Ed said. He paused to take a breath. "When I met Master Cassius… I left behind everything…when…when he made me like this."

It was a relief to tell someone. He wanted to tell Roy how hard things had been, what he'd gone through but…that would be selfish. He had no right to complain. He'd brought everything on himself. He was paying for his mistakes.

There was a long silence in which neither of them spoke. Edward waited for Mustang's response. He wasn't sure how the Colonel would treat him now he knew how despicable he was and he was a little afraid. Ed kept his gaze focused on the ground.

Roy heaved a sigh and pushed his chair back from the desk. "Edward, I'm going to need some time to think about everything you've told me. Why don't you take your clothes upstairs and make sure that they fit you, alright? I'll be up in a few minutes."

Edward nodded, his eyes still cast downward. He picked up the stack of clothing and left the room.

Roy leaned back in his chair and tried to digest the information he'd been given. Mustang was still in shock. Edward had tried to revive his mother with his younger brother. They had failed, and then while he was suffering from a rebound that severed his leg he had preformed a soul transmutation?

Was it even possible to transmute a soul? Roy had never heard of anything like this before.

All before the age of twelve…

It seemed impossible.

Like transmuting without an array.

He chuckled to himself. Or human chimera. There were plenty of alchemists who would deny Edward's existence without thought or question. But Ed was _very_ real. The youth had seemed honest enough. He believed what Edward had said.

What would be next? Dragons? Unicorns? He wondered what Maes would think about all of this.

All of a sudden it hit him! Damn! The party tomorrow at the Hughes! It had almost slipped his mind! Roy realized he'd forgotten to pick up a birthday gift for Edward too. That had been what was nagging at him earlier. What could he give him?

Well Ed was an alchemist. There was no doubt about that now. Roy stood up and surveyed the shelves. Perhaps he could give him a book on alchemy? He had plenty of books and it wasn't like he used most of them any more.

He selected a promising title from the shelves. The Coelum Philosophorum by Paracelsus. He'd read it once. It was kind of interesting, more theoretical than practical. The smooth forest green cover looked brand new. It would do.

He took it over to the desk, opened the cover and wrote "Happy Birthday, Edward" then he paused unsure how to sign his name. Colonel Mustang was too formal. He signed "Roy". Perhaps that was a bit too familiar. He added "Mustang".

He found a piece of brown paper in his desk and a piece of string. He used it to wrap the book. The he walked out into the hall and put it in the pocket of his great coat so he wouldn't forget it when they went to the Hughes tomorrow.

Satisfied, Roy walked upstairs. The door to Ed's room was open so he went in. The youth looked up at him briefly and then down at the floor. He was dressed in the same clothes he had on at supper but now they were a perfect fit.

"Excellent!" Mustang said smiling. He looked like a regular teenager boy aside from the telltale triangular ears on top his head. "You'll look great when I take you over to the Hughes' house tomorrow."

Ed looked up at him shocked. It was evident that he wasn't too please to know that they were going out tomorrow.

"What's the matter?" Roy asked dismayed. "Don't you like Maes? He's a great guy! My best friend."

Edward looked back at the floor and clenched his fists. He answered his voice thick with emotion, "I like…Mr. Hughes…"

"What is it then? His family?" Roy inquired. He walked over and put a hand on Ed's shoulder. "Gracia is a wonderful woman, very kind and a great cook. Their daughter Elicia is three and a real sweetheart."

The youth just stood there woodenly staring at the floor. Roy was at a loss. He didn't know Edward would react this badly to meeting more people. Perhaps it would be best if he didn't mention they would be having a party for him. He might not like being the center of attention.

"It will be fine, Edward. I promise." Roy assured him. He rubbed the top of Ed's back but let his hand drop when there was no change in Ed's demeanor.

"Look it's late and tomorrow's going to be busy," Mustang said heading for the door. "Why don't we call it a day?" He looked back at the youth with concern. Ed nodded mutely and he left.

Once Roy was gone, Edward turned the lights off and crawled into his bed. He pulled the blankets tightly around himself, curling up into a tight ball. Edward felt hollow, like his heart had just decided to fall right out of his chest.

Roy was giving him away tomorrow. Ed was going to the Hughes'. Mustang wasn't interested in being Ed's master and now that he knew what the youth had done… He didn't want to be around Edward anymore. Roy was giving him away.

It didn't matter if Hughes was nice - Ed didn't want to stay with him. He wanted to be with Roy. Roy who had rescued him. Roy who let him eat with him. Roy who let him do alchemy!

He felt his emotions welling up and he tried to take some calming breaths but they didn't help. Roy was getting rid of him. And the thought stabbed painfully at his insides.

Edward pressed his face into his pillow, feeling his eyes beginning to sting. He didn't want to cry. But he could help it. He bit his bottom lip, doing his best to keep quiet as he cried himself to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

This work is collaboration between myself and phantasy . cat. Neither of us owns Fullmetal Alchemist.

_Chapter #8_

Roy woke up alone in bed.

He had half expected to find Edward there beside him and he felt oddly disappointed that he wasn't there. But he took it as a good sign. Edward must be adjusting.

Mustang got dressed and then went to check on the youth. He knocked softly on the bedroom door before opening it and peaking in. Edward was still asleep so Roy let himself in.

The youth was lying on his side. He was still dressed in the clothes he'd been wearing the night before lying on top of the blankets. He was hugging his pillow, face pressed against it. He looked cute and kind of funny curled up like that.

Looking at him sleeping so peacefully it was hard to believe that Edward had survived two human transmutations before the age of twelve. The conversation from the night before was still fresh in Roy's mind. But he made an effort to shove it to the side. Human transmutation. Cassius Basan. All of that was in the past. It was time to concentrate on the present.

Mustang smiled, sitting down on the edge of the bed. He reached over and gave the youth's shoulder a gentle shake. Ed let out a small groan and Roy chuckled.

"Come on, Edward. Time to get up," he said teasingly.

The youth let out another groan before looking up at him sleepily. He looked very tired and his eyes were puffy and red. It made Roy wonder if Ed was sick. If he wasn't feeling well, then maybe he should cancel the party at the Hughes'.

"Hey, are you feeling alright?" Roy asked, placing a hand against the youth's forehead. The skin was cool. Mustang smoothed back Ed's bangs and ran his hand over his yellow ears. He was surprised at how soft they were. "Edward?"

"'M okay," the youth mumbled, reaching up to rub the sleep from his eyes.

Mustang couldn't help but smile down at him – he made such an adorable sight. He was tempted to just let Ed sleep while he made them breakfast but then he remembered how Ed had been cleaning himself the night before. The thought of the youth using his tongue to bathe himself every day just seemed gross.

"Alright then," Roy said. "It time to get up. You have a bath. I'll make breakfast."

That seemed to wake Ed up. He sat up abruptly and blinked at Roy, his eyes getting big.

"A _bath_?" the youth repeated horrified.

"Oh, no!" Roy said quickly, realizing the youth was misunderstanding him. Painfully, he recalled the bathtub full of blood at Basan's. "A _regular _bath – with water. Or a shower, if you prefer. To wash yourself. I don't want you licking yourself to clean any more."

Edward relaxed visibly and nodded.

Roy got up and walked to the door. "And put on some fresh clothes, not the ones you slept in. I want you to look nice when we go over to the Hughes'."

Edward tensed up again. He looked down at the bed, his hands gripping the blankets tightly. "Yes, sir," he answered quietly.

Roy studied the youth for a moment. He really seemed upset about leaving the house. Mustang didn't understand it. He didn't want to force Ed to do anything but he was sure the family atmosphere would have a positive effect. It was probably just nerves. He decided unless Ed actually said he didn't want to go, he would just let the visit play itself out.

"Well don't take too long or breakfast will get cold," he said and slipped out of the room closing the door behind him.

Edward picked the pillow off the bed beside him and hugged it to his chest. He felt heartsick. Today was the day he was going to leave and go live with the Hughes. He was being sent away. He buried his face deep in the pillow. There was still some of Roy's scent from the other night and he drank it in. Ed wanted nothing more than to run to the man and beg on his hands and knees to be allowed to stay. But he already knew what the answer would be. The Colonel had made it clear that he had no interest in Edward or being his master.

Ed knew he was evil and selfish. He should be grateful that anyone at all would take him, let alone having a man as kind as Hughes becoming his master. He was just a dirty piece of vermin not worth two cenz. He had no right to complain. It would be better for him to just accept his fate.

He dropped the pillow and climbed off the bed. The clothes he was wearing were heavy and confining. It was uncomfortable and Ed found it hard to move around. He was used to sleeping in next to nothing.

He went to the dresser and gathered up dark blue pants, a blue striped shirt as well as a fresh pair of boxers and some of the dreaded socks. Moving around the room, the hair on his tail rubbed the wrong way. It was driving him crazy but it was stuffed in his pant leg so he couldn't get at it. Edward hurried to the bathroom and stripped down as fast as he could.

Once the boxers dropped to the floor, he started grooming his tail with his tongue. After a few satisfying licks he stopped guiltily. Roy had said he didn't want him licking himself.

After a moment he started again. This wasn't bathing. It was the only way to get the hair on his tail to lay the right way.

When he was finally satisfied with the job Ed relieved himself. He was grateful for the Colonel letting him use the toilet. One of the things he hated the most about having to stay in his old kennel at Cassius Basan's was the litter box.

Finally the youth faced the bathtub. He didn't think he could willingly submerge himself in water. He decided the lesser of the two evils would be having a shower. He at least had pleasant memories of using the Rockbell's outdoor shower. He'd used it often when he was young. He remembered messing around with it a couple times with Al. Like the one time they'd tried to give Den a shower…

He shook his head. Now was not the time to be remembering.

He managed to get the shower going. His ears automatically flattened at the sound of running water and he made a face. He tried to encourage himself, imagining the shower to be like walking out into warm rain. But he wasn't a fan of rain either so he just dropped the thought.

Edward got in, pulling the shower curtain closed behind him. It wasn't half as bad as he expected only…only he really didn't like the feel of the water on his ears. As soon as any water got inside he couldn't help shaking his head. It was impossible.

Quickly, he found the soap and snatched it, ducking out of the spray. He lathered up and scrubbed himself down. Then he flattened his ears to his head, squeezed his eyes shut and quickly stepped into the spray to rinse off. He bore the water as long as he could then turned the shower off, panting. His whole body shook itself violently in an effort to dry itself. It didn't do much good so Edward threw back the shower curtain and grabbed a big soft towel to finish the job. That felt wonderful. He took his time to do a proper job, especially with his ears.

Edward found a hairbrush and brushed his hair. It hung damp and wet around his shoulders despite his best efforts to dry it. He reached back and braided it to get it out of the way. Hanging on to the end of it, he went through the drawers in the vanity and found a piece of string to tie it. Then he tried the hairbrush to smooth out the hair on his tail. It wasn't quite as satisfying as grooming it himself but he decided it would do.

Then with some reluctance he considered the clothes. He really didn't want to stick his tail inside his pants. It was so uncomfortable and awkward. The material dragged at it and he couldn't move properly. Still…he couldn't imagine Mustang being pleased if Ed came down with no pants.

Then he considered. Mustang didn't object to him performing alchemy. He'd actually seemed happy the night before when Ed had done those transmutations. Maybe he could make an alteration to his clothes without getting punished. He decided it was worth the risk.

He laid his hand on top of the boxers and pants and let that wonderful power flowed through him briefly. As soon as he'd transmuted them, fear passed through him. Should he really have done it?

He jumped when he suddenly heard the colonel call from downstairs.

"Edward!" Roy shouted. "Edward! Hurry up! Breakfast is ready!"

Ed panicked and started to dress at the order. He was keeping his master waiting. He was late. He fumbled with the garments going as quickly as he could. He threaded his tail through the back of his pants through the opening he transmuted. There was no time to undo it now and exited the bathroom. And then he breathed in.

Bacon.

Ed could smell bacon. Hot, crisp, bacon. The salty scent hit the back of his throat like he'd just bitten into a piece. He needed some of that. _Now_.

He rushed down to the kitchen, top speed. The smell was even stronger in there and he had to stop and swallow hard. He was starting drool. He couldn't help it. He looked for the source of the smell and found Roy just finishing setting up the table for breakfast. His hunger must have been obvious because the man looked at him and smirked.

"Hungry?" Mustang asked.

Edward nodded and sat down at the table eagerly.

"Dig in," Roy said as he took the chair across from him.

Edward didn't need a second invitation. He started eating with no thought in mind except for the next slice of bacon until there was nothing left. Then, not caring about what Roy thought, he'd licked his plate and his fingers clean. It was delicious! He hadn't had bacon forever and it was a thousand times better than he remembered.

"So you like bacon then," Mustang said with an amused grin once they were finished. He stood up and took his plate to the sink. "Me too. Obviously not as much as you, though. I should have made more."

Ed smiled at him a bit uncertainly, wondering if he had made a pig out of himself. He picked up his dishes and brought them over to the sink.

"It's fine. I'll handle dishes," Roy said, taking them from him.

Edward stood off to the side and watched as Roy began filling the sink, feeling useless and in the way. The man had fed him a delicious meal and now was cleaning up after him. It wasn't right.

"Are you sure?" he asked hopefully.

"Mmm hmm," Mustang responded. "You can just go relax."

"Okay…" Edward said.

The youth left the kitchen uncertain where to go or what to do. He wandered into the living room. The furniture was still littered with newspapers and magazines. He chose the least cluttered armchair next to the radio. It smelled strongly of Mustang and sagged comfortable when he climbed in. He sat on his legs and curled his tail around him.

Edward wondered what it would be like living with the Hughes. Would he be able to perform alchemy there? Would they even like him at all? Maybe after a day or two they would just throw him out.

He hoped their little girl wouldn't pull his tail.

Ed lay his head down on the armrest and closed his eyes. He breathed in slowly, taking in Roy's scent. He wished with all his heart that he didn't have to go. He didn't want to leave. He _liked_ the Colonel. He was kind and didn't treat him like an animal. He was sure if he could stay here he could be happy.

With those thoughts in mind and a full belly, soon he fell into a dreamless sleep.

_**

* * *

  
**_

Roy finished the dishes, leaving them to air dry in the rack. He had never been particularly fond of doing the dishes but he found that the longer he left them, the nastier they got. That's why takeout was so much easier…

He found Edward in the living room asleep in his favorite chair. He shook his head in disbelief. The term 'catnap' was starting to take on a whole new meaning to him.

He turned on the radio before making room for himself to lie down on the couch. He piled the magazines and newspapers onto the floor then got comfortable. He listened to a radio show for a bit, a comedy, and after a few good laughs he picked up one of his magazine of the floor and began reading. Before long it was time to go.

Roy stood and went to wake Edward. He only needed to call the youth's name this time. Ed looked up at him sleepily, blinking slowly. He yawned and stretched before getting to his feet.

"We should be going. The Hughes are expecting us," Roy said.

Ed's ears dropped a little and he nodded. "Okay…" He started heading to the door.

It was then that Roy noticed the extra feature. Edward's tale floated along behind him.

"Your tail," Mustang said surprised at the sight.

Ed turned back to face him, ears going down. He crossed his hands over his backside to hide the evidence.

"I'm sorry, sir. I transmuted a hole for it," he said, tone nervous.

"I'll bet its more comfortable than sticking your tail in the leg of your pants," Roy surmised. "But your jacket won't cover it." Then and idea struck him. "Why don't you go and get that long red coat from your room."

Edward nodded. Obediently, he went upstairs to his bedroom. He found the coat and slipped it on. It had been years since he'd last worn it but it still fit him all right. He couldn't help but be disappointed. He would've thought that he'd have grown.

He felt the weight of his little notebook in the breast pocket. At least that would be coming with him.

Ed glanced around the room sadly. He wished that he could stay. He liked this room. It was comfortable and didn't make him feel like some dirty beast, unlike his kennel. And Mustang's faint scent… He wished he could take the smell with him as a memory. Something…

An idea slowly began to blossom in his mind. Oh no… Really, he shouldn't… But before Edward knew it, he'd crept into the Colonel's bedroom.

He could take something small that wouldn't be missed. A personal object with Roy's scent. He saw a sock hanging on the edge of the laundry hamper. His palms began to sweat and his heart pounded. It was perfect.

He snatched it and stuffed it into his left coat pocket, feeling extremely guilty.

"Edward!" Roy called.

Ed nearly jumped out of his skin – he fell into a crouch, his tail fluffing up and his ears flattening to his skull. It was almost like the Colonel knew what he was up to. He straightened himself out and then dashed downstairs.

"Let's go," Mustang said once he'd reached the bottom of the steps. "We don't want to be late."

Roy tugged the hood on Ed's coat up to hide his triangular ears. Then he walked around the youth inspecting his appearance. The tail was completely hidden, curled nicely under the long coat. The Flamel emblazoned on the back of the coat would be what a casual observer would notice anyway.

With a smile he looked down at Edward. "Okay, lets go."

Mustang decided to drive rather than risk taking a cab. The majority of the time he preferred to be chauffeured around. But since Edward was so nervous about leaving the house it was probably wiser not to expose him to more new people and experiences than was necessary.

The ride to the Hughes' was quick. When they arrived the Colonel led Edward up to the house, hoping his reaction to the Hughes and the party would be a positive one. Maybe this visit was too soon. Roy knocked on the door resolved that if Edward had any adverse reactions they would leave at once.

Ed felt his tail twitching nervously beneath the fabric of his coat. He wondered how this would go. Would Mustang stay for a while after he gave him to Hughes? Or would he leave as quickly as possible? Would there be an exchange of money? Basan had threatened to sell him on the occasion but the Colonel was so different from him…

Maes was the one to answer the door. He grinned at them and opened the door wide, welcoming them inside.

"Hello!" the man greeted them jovially. "And happy birthday, Edward! Hurry inside! Gracia's almost finished making supper and if we don't eat soon, Elicia will attack the birthday cake!"

Edward blinked in surprise, eyes going wide. Birthday?

"Oh, Hughes," Roy sighed, walking in. Ed followed him. "Even four year olds have some restrain or have you spoiled her rotten?"

"She isn't spoiled rotten!" Maes said defensively as Mustang and Edward removed their shoes and coats. "She's an angel!"

"So you claim," Roy snorted. He dug into his breast pocket for his present and handed it to Edward, watching for his reaction. "Happy birthday."

"Wha-?" was all the youth could think to say.

He felt absolutely lost. Now Mustang was wishing him a happy birthday. Just what was going on here?

"Why do you look so confused?" Hughes asked. He turned to the Colonel. "Roy, didn't you tell him?"

"Ah… No," the man admitted. "I didn't want to upset him."

Maes sighed and Ed looked between the two of them.

"We decided to throw you a birthday party since you said that you'd had your sixteenth birthday recently," Maes explained. Then he turned and chastised the Colonel. "You have to tell him these things, Roy."

"You're right," Mustang said, holding his hands up in surrender. "I just thought… Well, no. I wasn't thinking. I'm… Oh, screw it. I'm not good at handling these kinds of things."

Edward looked between the two of them, feeling a little lost still. So they had decided to throw him a party? Well, he supposed that was all right. It was a very thoughtful gesture and a kind way to welcome him into their home. Hughes…was much nicer than he thought he would be. No wonder he and the Colonel were friends.

"I…" Ed began and then paused to swallow nervously. "Thank you. Thank you very much." He looked down at the small package in his hands wrapped with brown paper and string.

"Not a problem!" Maes said. "Don't worry about it. We're happy to throw a party for you. But why don't you just put that in here with the other gifts."

Hughes led them to the dinning room. It was decorated with balloons and streamers and Edward couldn't help but look all around. He was led to a small pile of gifts. Ed reluctantly set Mustang's among them.

He was then taken to the kitchen to be introduced to Gracia. She smiled at him so softly that it made him look away. He couldn't help but think of his own mother and could only managed a small, "Hello."

Then, with far too much enthusiasm, Maes had ushered Ed into the living room to meet his daughter.

Elicia was in a cute, frilly party dress, playing with some dolls but she smiled widely when she saw her father. She got to her feet, dropping the dolls and ran over. Maes scooped her up into his arms.

"Say hello to Uncle Roy, Sweetheart," Hughes coaxed.

"Hello, Uncle Roy," Elicia said shyly. And then she spotted Edward. Her eye grew wide and round and she stared at him openly. The youth began to feel awkward. He shrunk away a little automatically, ears twitching. The girl's eyes grew even larger at that.

"And this is Edward," Hughes said. "Remember? The boy I told you about?"

"The birthday boy," Elicia said with a nod, eyes still fixed on Ed's ears.

"Can you say hello?" her father asked.

"Hello, Edward," she responded.

"And this is Elicia," Hughes stated proudly beaming at his daughter.

"Hello, Elicia," Edward answered, just as shy.

"What's on his head, Daddy?" she asked.

"Well, he has kitty ears," the man explained. "And a kitty tail, too."

"Really?" the little girl said with awe. "Can I touch them?"

Edward looked between Hughes and Elicia nervously. This girl was so small and cute but…if she was anything like Winry was… He licked his lips out of nervousness. He didn't want her to pull his ears and tail. That would hurt.

"Only if it's okay with Ed," Maes answered his daughter. He looked to the youth questioningly. "Do you mind if she touches them?"

Automatically, Edward almost turned to Roy to see if he thought that was all right. But if Hughes was his new Master, he might as well do what the man asked. Timidly, he nodded and put his ears within Elicia's grasp, trying to keep them perked up.

"Be gentle," Maes instructed.

The girl reached out and stroked them. It actually felt _really_ nice. His eyes closed and he let out a contented sigh. Elicia giggled.

"They're so soft!" she exclaimed. "Does it feel good?"

"Yes," Edward answered, swallowing a purr.

The girl stopped and the youth stood straight. His ears were still tingling from the pleasant feeling and he was tempted to reach up and pet himself. He didn't want to risk it though. When he stoked his own ears he tended to get lost in the feeling and lose track of time. He might even fall asleep and if that happened… What if he didn't get to say goodbye to Roy?

Just then Gracia called them all to supper. They headed into the dining room to eat. It was delicious and Ed did his best to eat slowly. He was surprised that Elicia kept saying she was full until he realized she was just trying to hurry through supper so that she could have her slice of cake. He made sure to save some room for a slice, just in case. They were celebrating _his_ birthday, right? So then he should, in theory, get a piece.

After supper came the cake. There were sixteen candles in it. Once they were lit, the lights were turned off. Everyone began to sing Happy Birthday. A strange thrill went through Edward as the cake was placed in front of him and the song ended.

"Make a wish and blow them out, Ed," Mustang encouraged with a smile.

A wish. A birthday wish. Edward didn't believe in that sort of thing. But… Well, it was worth a shot.

'_I wish that I could stay with Roy,_' Edward thought as he blew out the candles all in one breath. '_Forever and ever._'

The candles were removed and cake was served. Hughes told Ed that he was welcome to as much cake as he wanted because he was the birthday boy. Edward took two slices but didn't push his luck further than that.

Gracia took Ed's dishes away and brought over the pile of presents. Elicia got off her chair and came to stand by Ed's, bouncing on the balls of her feet excitedly. She pulled a lumpy white envelope from the pile and handed it to him.

"This one's my present!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Open it first! Open it first!"

Edward flipped the envelope over in his hands and sliced it open with one of his claws while Elicia jumped up and down beside his chair in anticipation. He removed a badly folded piece of paper that had been stuffed inside and looked at it.

"It a drawing of my house!" the girl said with a gigantic smile.

"Thank you very much," Edward said politely.

The drawing was rough and childish but he appreciated the thought – he imagined she had done her best. Elicia didn't even know him. He smoothed it out on the table carefully.

"Open another one!" the little girl demanded excitedly.

Edward picked up a soft, brightly colored package and unwrapped it. Inside was a pair of blue mittens.

"Mittens!" Elicia informed everyone, throwing her hands in the air.

"I hope the colour is okay," Gracia said.

"Yes," Edward assured her shyly. They were the color of Roy's uniform. "Thank you."

"Now, Daddy's present!" Elicia encouraged him. "Daddy's present!"

"Calm down, dear," Gracia said with a smile. "I think you had too much cake."

Dutifully, Edward took the small box labeled 'To Edward, from Maes' and opened it. Inside was a beautiful pocketknife with a pearl handle. Surprised, he looked at Hughes.

"Do you like it?" Maes asked with a smile.

"Yes. Thank you," Ed responded.

He opened and closed the blade easily. For his new Master to give him a pocketknife… Edward wasn't sure what to make of that. Basan had called his shock collar a gift.

"Every guy needs a pocketknife," Hughes said with a nod. "You never know when it will come in handy."

Then there was only one present left. Mustang's present. Edward used his new knife and deftly cut the package's string. Then he removed the brown paper and picked up the gift.

It was a forest green, leather bound book. The title was written in fancy gold lettering: The Coelum Philosophorum. He opened it and at a glance he could tell that it was full of advanced alchemic theory. He gripped it tightly, tears stinging his eyes. He couldn't believe it. It had been years since he'd held an alchemy text.

Maybe…just maybe…his dream to find a way of restoring Al's body was still possible…

He looked up and met Mustang's eyes. Blinking back tears of gratitude, he said, "Thank you very much, sir."

"It's Roy," the man corrected with a grin. "But you are very welcome."

"Now, why don't you all go and relax and I'll wash up," Gracia suggested, indicating to the dishes.

Edward carefully folded the drawing Elicia had given him inside his new book. He gathered it up with the mittens and put the knife into his pants pocket. Roy and Maes were beginning to chat and he wanted to stay with them but Elicia grabbed onto his sleeve.

"Let's go color!" she said with enthusiasm.

"Okay…" he agreed reluctantly, allowing her to drag him off to the living room.

Mustang watched them go with a smile. "I have to say that this going a lot better than I expected."

"How so?" Maes inquired.

"It seemed like Edward really didn't want to leave the house," Mustang explained. "When I told him we were coming over, he got very upset. That's why I didn't tell him about the party. I actually considered canceling it."

"Well, I think that it's important to let him know what's going on," Maes said. "He's more likely to be upset if he isn't sure what to expect."

"I realize that. But at the time it just seemed right," Roy agreed. Then he paused. "Just how much did that pocketknife cost you? It looked pretty fancy."

"Why?" Maes asked, raising an eyebrow. "I'm not letting you pay me back, if that's what you're thinking."

"Hey, I just don't want you going crazy buying Edward things like you do with Elicia," the Colonel snorted.

He expected Hughes to make some kind of a joke but he didn't. Instead he quirked an eyebrow and grinned. "Is that a hint of jealousy I detect?" he asked. "Hmm, Roy?"

"Jealousy?" Mustang repeated. "Why would I be jealous of you buying Elicia tons of useless things?"

"No, no. I mean, are you jealous that I got Edward a nice present?"

Roy gave his friend a look. Jealous of him buying Ed a nice present? What kind of question was that? Then again if he was honest maybe it did bother him a little. Edward had been very happy about his alchemy text – more so than he had the knife. But jealous? Was he really _jealous_?

No. He couldn't be.

"I have no reason to be," Mustang shrugged. "Like I said, I just don't want you going too crazy. The next thing you know, you'll be trying to adopt him and showing me photo albums depicting his every day life."

"Yup, you're definitely jealous. That's kind of funny," his friend chuckled. "You really like him, don't you?"

"Of course," Roy said, a bit irked that Hughes was insisting that he was jealous. "Don't you?"

Maes smiled. "Well, yes, but I think you like him a bit more than I do."

Mustang looked at Hughes, puzzled. The man chuckled again and gave him an amused look. Just what was he trying to get at?

"What do you mean?" Roy asked.

"What I mean," said Maes. "Is I've known you for a long time. It's easy for me to see that you're attracted to him."

"I'm not Cassius Basan," Mustang said, clearly unimpressed.

"I know you're not," Hughes responded. "You're a great guy, Roy. You and Ed might even be suited for each other. It's just he's-"

"He's, what? Fourteen years younger than me? Suffered multiple kinds of abuse?" the Colonel interrupted. "Even if I did find him attractive which I'm not saying I do, Edward isn't ready for that kind of relationship. Things are purely platonic at the time and I intend to keep it that way."

Okay. So, he was attracted to Edward. Roy had to admit it to himself – it was getting too hard to deny. Ed was good looking. He had a nice build. In fact, there were plenty of things that Roy liked about him. If the situation were different, he might be able to see himself trying to hit on the youth. Really, who didn't fantasize about a hot, young blond?

But he wasn't some kind of a monster who was going to take advantage of Edward.

"That's good to hear," Maes said.

"I am in control of myself," Roy said. He couldn't help but pout a bit. "I wouldn't do anything to hurt him."

"Daddy…" came a little voice from the doorway.

Maes turned to see Elicia standing there, her eyebrows knit with worry. "What is it, honey?"

"I need a band-aid," she told him.

"Do you have an owie?" her father inquired.

Elicia sighed with exasperation. "Not for _me!_" she explained. "Kitty-Ed hurt himself."

Roy jumped off his chair and dashed into the living room with Maes close behind him. Edward was lying on his stomach coloring. He looked up in alarm at their approach, his eyes wet with tears and jumped to his feet, shrinking back.

Mustang ran over to him and grabbed him by the shoulders. The youth jumped in surprise at the sudden movement, ears flattening to his skull and his tail fluffing up. He looked up at the Colonel, eyes wide.

"Edward! Are you all right!?" Mustang asked, looking him over.

Edward hiccoughed and nodded, reaching up to dry his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. He kept his gaze on the Colonel, looking at him nervously.

"Roy," Maes said gently pushing the two of them apart. He faced the sniffling youth. "Edward, what's the matter? Why are you crying?"

Edward's shoulders slumped and he hung his head so his bangs hid his face.

"I'm s-sorry, Master," he apologized. "I promise I'll be a good boy."

"Master...?" Hughes asked confused. He looked at the Colonel but his friend shrugged his shoulders, every bit as bewildered. "Isn't Roy your Master?"

Edward shook his head still looking down at the floor. His fists were clenched at his side. "He…h-he…doesn't want to be my Master. That's why he…br-brought me here."

"No, Edward," said Roy. He stepped forward with a pained look and put a hand on his shoulder. "I brought you here for the birthday party."

"The party?" Ed said, sniffing. "B-but we were talking last night about…and you s-said you had to think about it and th-then… Then you said you were t-taking me here…"

Mustang thought back to the night before when they'd had the conversation about human transmutation. He did remember saying that he would think about it. When he'd come upstairs later and told Ed about going to the Hughes, Ed must have just assumed that that was the conclusion he had come to and he was giving him away.

Roy swallowed a laugh. How this whole thing had come about was kind of ridiculous but he couldn't be laughing at the youth right now.

"When I said that I needed to think about it, I meant that I wanted to think about it for a few days, not minutes," the Colonel explained. "Maes and I had already planned to throw a party for you. I just forgot to tell you until the last minute. Sorry for giving you the wrong impression."

"Y-you aren't…" Ed said, voice cracking slightly. "You aren't g-going to…give me away?"

"I already told you. You don't belong to anyone. You're free," Roy said. "I'm not going to give you to anyone. If you _want_ to stay with the Hughes's though-" Edward began shaking his head fiercely from side to side. "Well then, you're welcome to stay with me as long as you'd like."

"R-really?" Ed asked.

"Really," Mustang responded with a nod and smile.

Edward sniffed, tearing up some more. Knowing that he'd brought on a fresh set of tears, Roy pulled the youth into a hug. Ed latched onto him and began to sob into the front of his shirt and Mustang rubbed his back.

He glanced up at Hughes who quirked an eyebrow. The Colonel shot him a look. He could tell exactly what was going on in his friend's mind.

"Kitty-Ed! Kitty-Ed!" called Elicia. She ran across the room to Roy and Edward holding something in her hands.

Ed detached himself from the Colonel and looked down at her.

"Hold out your hand," she directed.

Obediently he held out his hand to the little girl and she stuck a band-aid on it. Then she leaned over and kissed it softly.

"Now you, Daddy," Elicia instructed looking at her father expectantly.

Maes copied his daughter by kissing the bandage.

"Uncle Roy too!" the four year old insisted.

Dutifully Mustang took Ed's hand raised it to his lips and kissed it. The youth blushed as Roy returned his hand to him. Edward clasped his hands together, touching the band-aid thoughtfully and biting his bottom lip.

Elicia beamed proudly and proclaimed, "All better!"

Roy smiled at the child's simplistic way of solving tears. "Yes and now, Edward, you should go wash your face," he suggested.

Ed nodded. He bent to pick up his presents, holding them tightly. He was sill sniffling a bit but he hurried off to the bathroom.

"What was that about?" Hughes asked once Ed was gone. "What did you two talk about the other night?"

"Oh, just confirming suspicions," Roy said, glancing at the clock. "It's getting late, though. How about I tell you some other time?"

"Sure," Maes said, checking the time as well. "Wow, it is getting late. It's almost bedtime for Elicia."

"I'm not tired," she said, pouting.

Mustang chuckled as she began to try and extend bedtime. Hughes seemed to be having some trouble but then Gracia came in, having finished the dishes. A few words from her mother and Elicia had ceased her attempts.

"Honestly, Maes," Gracia said to her husband, picking the little girl up. "You have to learn to say no."

"I can't," he responded as Edward came back into the room.

"Well, I think it's time to go home, Ed," he said and the youth brightened up considerably. "Do you have all of your things?"

"Yes," Edward said, nodding. He was holding his gifts to his chest in a tight hug.

"Alright then. Let's go."

_**

* * *

  
**_

Edward was much more relaxed on the ride home. He was responding easier to Mustang's attempts at conversation and he was smiling a little. It warmed the Colonel's heart. He wanted Ed to smile more. He tried to think of things that they could do tomorrow since he had the day off.

Walking up to the door, Roy could hear the phone inside ringing. He fumbled with the lock as he hurried to answer it. When it finally opened, he made a mad dash to the phone but when he answered the line was dead. He sighed and went back to take his coat and boots off.

If it was important, they would call back later.


	9. Chapter 9

This work is collaboration between myself and phantasy . cat. Neither of us owns Fullmetal Alchemist.

Late update = I'm sorry. That aside, this chapter was really hard to write (and made me very, _VERY_ angry on multiple occasions when I was working on it) and filler-ish. But I touched on the subject of Alphonse so I'm happy. Oh. And I was impossibly tempted to say "Now I'm putting this on hiatus" just to scare everyone who finishes reading this chapter. But I'm nice so instead I'll say that I already have Chapter #10 started and it's in the works. ^_^

Also, I've never really thought about it until now but this fic is sort of based of the first anime with manga/brotherhood elements. Huh. Weird how I just started writing and never really thought about it…

_Chapter #9_

Mustang groaned. An insistent ringing noise was dragging him out of a delightful sleep.

The damn alarm clock.

He rolled over to the edge of the bed, grabbed hold of the evil thing and tried to turn it off. He was tired and fumbling and the damn clock just wouldn't turn off. He tossed it to the floor in sleepy frustration.

But then he realized it wasn't his alarm clock ringing. It was the phone.

He struggled out of bed and stumbled across his room, swearing. By the time he'd reached his bedroom door the phone had stopped ringing. He stood there, growling to himself. Who the hell would call him first thing in the morning? He went and picked up his alarm clock, checking the time. Ten a.m.

On a Sunday yet! That was just rude.

Maybe it was the person who had tried to call him last night. Not that it really mattered since there was nothing he could do about it. They would just have to call back again.

He sighed and stretched, figuring that he might as well check on Edward since he was up. He padded down the hall and peeked into his room.

Ed was awake. He was lying on his stomach, propped up by his pillow, The Coelum Philosophorum opened in front of him. He was reading, completely focused on the book. He was half way through.

Mustang smiled, pleased. Edward must have really liked his present. He wondered if the youth was really reading the book or just skimming it. It would have taken Roy himself a lot longer to get that far. Then again, when had Ed woken up? He took a lot of naps during the day.

Roy knocked on the door and Ed tore his eyes away from the book to look up at him.

"Good morning," Mustang said. "Enjoying your book?"

"Yes," Ed said. He sat up, ears alert. The covers slid down showing Roy that the youth had slept in his boxers. His blond tail curled in the air behind him. "It's very interesting. Thank you, sir."

"Roy," he corrected.

Edward flushed as he looked down. His ear twitched nervously as he modified his reply, "Thank you…Roy."

"Would you rather call me Mustang?" the man asked, wanting to make things easier for the youth if he could.

"Calling you Roy is just…different," Ed said shyly, curling his tail around himself. "I'll get used to it."

"Okay," the Colonel responded. They would do things at Edward's pace. "By the way, did you hear the phone ringing just now?"

"Yes," the youth answered nodding.

"If it rings again when I'm not here or busy, could you answer it and take a message for me?" Roy asked, running his hand through his dark tousled hair.

"Sure!" Edward agreed eagerly, happy to have the opportunity to be useful. His ears perked up. "I can do that!"

"It might be military HQ. If anyone wants to know who you are just say you're my nephew," Mustang instructed, smiling at his enthusiasm. "Now how about breakfast?"

* * *

After they had both showered and dressed, Mustang made the rest of the bacon for breakfast. Edward wolfed down enjoying it every bit as much as the day before. This time, Roy let Ed help with the dishes when they finished.

"So," the Colonel said, putting the last of the dishes away. "What would you like to do today?"

Ed looked puzzled. "What _can_ we do?"

"Oh, plenty of things. We could go for a walk. We could stay here and listen to the radio," Mustang suggested. "Or if you'd like, we could go down to the museum or the library. Maybe even to the movie theater and see a show. Whatever you like."

"Library?" the youth repeated, perking up at the word.

Ah… Roy had suspected as much. An alchemist who had preformed human transmutation before the age of twelve would have to be a bookworm. He smiled.

"Yes. If you want, I could even take you to the First Branch library. It's only for state alchemists but I could sign you in as a guest," he said.

"Really?" Edward asked in amazement. His tail lashed and his eyes were bright.

"I wouldn't mind," Roy admitted enjoying his reaction. "I haven't been there in a while."

"I would like that," the youth said enthusiastically.

"Alright then," the Colonel said. "The library will be our first stop."

_

* * *

_

Mustang had no problem signing Edward in as a guest. He was The Flame Alchemist after all, one of the younger and certainly the best looking of the State Alchemists. He flirted and charmed the librarians, explaining how his nephew was visiting him. It was easy to keep their attention focused on him and off of Edward.

Though he didn't visit the library often, he knew the rules. Guests were only allowed in a few general areas and Roy wondered if the trip might be a disappointment for Edward. But it turned out he needn't have worried. Walking around the massive building among all of the books, Edward was enraptured. His eyes shone drinking in everything. In the short time Roy had known him it was the happiest he'd seen him.

They were there for most of the afternoon. Whenever they came across any alchemy texts Ed seemed intent on examining each of them. He was able to determine quickly whether they interested him or not but it was still slow going. Roy himself just patiently guided him along. Since it was Sunday the place was nearly deserted but he kept an eye on the youth to make sure his hood didn't slip off or his tail show from underneath his red coat. Ed himself seemed to be oblivious to anything but the books.

Roy was surprised at the focus the youth had as he devoured each book. With the hood covering his ears and his golden eyes scanning the texts eagerly, anyone walking by could mistake him for an alchemic prodigy studying for the State Alchemist Exam. Gone was the sickening subservience and fear. Edward was in his element.

It was a refreshing change and Roy might have stayed longer but Edward's stomach began to growl rather loudly and persistently.

"We can come back another time," Mustang assured the disappointed youth when he informed him that they would be leaving. "It's time we got something to eat."

Ed brightened considerably when Roy offered to sign some of the books out for him. The youth had accumulated a rather large pile. It was more than the two of them could carry comfortably so Roy limited him to a total of six.

After leaving the library Mustang took them to small café he knew of nearby and got them a booth in the corner. The Colonel ordered them each a steak sandwich and something to drink. While they waited for their order, the man struck up a conversation with the youth.

"So, did you find any good books?" he asked.

"Plenty," Ed said, barely concealed excitement in his voice. "Can I really go back there again?"

"Sure," Roy agreed easily smiling. He really enjoyed seeing this side of Edward. "Maybe next weekend, if you want to."

Edward bit his bottom lip and began to fidget with his mittens. They were the blue ones that Gracia had given him. He had taken then off but he didn't really seem to want to put them down. Maybe he was afraid of losing them. Mustang realized that he probably hadn't been given any gifts in a long time.

"R-Roy," the youth began nervously.

"Yes?" Mustang asked, trying to sound encouraging.

"I was wondering…"

Just then the waitress brought their drinks. She smiled at Roy when he thanked her but he was preoccupied with Ed so he didn't encourage her. She left and Roy wondered if Edward had lost his nerve in whatever he was going to ask.

But suddenly the youth looked up and locked his golden eyes onto Roy's. "Will you teach me alchemy?" he asked breathlessly.

The determination in the youth's voice surprised Roy. But then it suddenly occurred to him that alchemy might be a vital key in the path to Edward's recovery. He had an insatiable appetite for it, if their afternoon in the library was any indication.

But Roy wanted to proceed cautiously. The notebook in the red coat was evidence of an alchemic talent far beyond Ed's years. With alchemy came power but power needed to be tempered with wisdom and compassion. It was more than arrays and transmutations. Edward had already lived through several alchemy disasters. Mustang didn't want to be responsible for another.

"If you want to learn," Roy answered seriously. "I'll teach you what I can."

"I do want to learn! I have to!" Edward exclaimed emphatically. He looked back down at his gloves a bit sheepish after his outburst. "Or I'll never be able to face Alphonse again."

"Your little brother?" Roy asked confused. "What does he have to do with it?"

"Everything," replied the youth quietly, still fascinated with his gloves. "He hates me… I just… I'm… I'm just like Dad… But if I can go back knowing how to restore his body, then maybe he'll be able to forgive me."

Roy was confused. Ed was just like his father? Al hated him?

"I don't think Alphonse hates you…" Roy began delicately but Edward shook his head harder.

"No. He does. I know he does. You don't understand. I left him all by himself without telling him where I was going," Ed said, biting his bottom lip. "Just like Dad. He left us without a word and never came back – even when Mom got sick and died. He didn't even come to the funeral."

Mustang was shocked. He had no idea. It must have made the loss of their mother even harder on the two young boys. His heart went out to Edward. "I'm sure that he'll understand when you explain it to him, " he assured him. "But I don't understand. Why didn't you tell him where you were going?"

Golden eyes looked up at him for a moment, wide and nervous then dropped back to the table in shame. The youth continued with effort.

"I… I wanted to fix things. It was my fault. I talked Al into doing the transmutation with me and when I first heard of Master Cassius' research I didn't want to get Al's hopes up…" Ed explained, fidgeting. "And then Master Cassius said not to tell anyone so I didn't."

The mention of that bastard's name made Roy's blood boil but he was confused and wanted to get the whole story. "Basan told you not to tell? How long did you know him?"

"I was twelve when we met," Edward said. "But I'd been writing to him before then."

"So you were pen pals?" Roy asked, feeling lost.

"Um… Kind of," Ed said. He paused as he realized the Colonel needed a more detailed explanation. "I was trying to find a way to restore Al after we…you know. I saw some of his research and it looked promising so I started to write to him. When he found out what I was interested in, he said he would only correspond with me if I didn't tell anyone so I kept my mouth shut. Eventually we agreed to meet each other in person and…well…it was too late to tell Al by then so I…I kept it a secret. I just told him I was leaving to do some research.

"I was hoping to come home with a solution of how to restore Al to his body and get my arm and leg back," Ed said wrinkling his nose as he continued. "But Master Cassius' research wasn't what I thought it would be. I told him I wanted to go home and he said it was okay but then he drugged my desert. After that he performed this transmutation on me. It fixed my limbs but I ended up like this and then well…"

"Yes," Mustang said cutting him off gently. He already had an idea of what had happened after that and just thinking about it made him feel ill. He didn't want to push Edward. "That must have been hard."

Ed flushed a little and looked down, mumbling, "Sometimes."

"Don't worry. Alphonse will understand," Mustang assured him.

Edward lowered his head so only the red hood was visible. He shook his head.

"No reason is good enough to abandon people who are important to you," said the youth with conviction. "I have to make it up to him." His voice cracked with emotion.

Roy could see Ed had been persuaded either by himself or Basan that his brother hated him but Roy was unconvinced. If Edward had disappeared without a trace it was more likely that his little brother was searching for him and would be ecstatic about his return. He resolved to reunite the two brothers whatever it took. The sooner the better. But now was not the time to pursue the subject with Edward.

"Well, having me for a teacher won't be easy," Mustang warned the youth, changing the subject smoothly. He took a sip of his coffee. "I want your word that you won't just up and quit on me. I'm not about to waste my time."

Ed looked up and met his eyes with determination. "I won't give up."

"Is that a promise?" Roy asked. "Do you give your word that no matter how hard it gets, how much I ask of you or what happens you'll keep studying alchemy with me?"

"Yes!" Ed agreed with resolve. "I promise!"

"Alright then," Mustang agreed. "I'll teach you alchemy." He offered his right hand across the table and Edward took it. Roy shook it firmly.

Their waitress arrived with the supper but Roy barely noticed her. Ed held his attention. He grinned at him as they both dug into their supper with enthusiasm.

Yes, he would teach Ed alchemy and give him the courage to face his brother. Roy had no idea whether they would be able to find a way to restore Alphonse's body or not but if it was Ed's dream, he would help him pursue it. All the evidence he had seen Edward was an alchemic genius so there was no saying what he could accomplish. Maybe someday he would even become a State Alchemist.

Mustang smiled to himself wondering what kind of name the Fuhrer would assign Edward. The Kitty-Cat Alchemist?

Just then Ed stuffed a large piece of steak into his mouth. It brought to mind the first footage Roy had seen of him fiercely resisting Basan.

No if anything Edward would be the Wild-Cat Alchemist.

Yes, Roy could see Edward becoming a State Alchemist with his mentorship and guidance. He would be proud to have him as a subordinate. He certainly showed more promise as a candidate than that annoying Russell kid.

When they finished eating, Mustang considered how Ed would like to spend the rest of the evening.

"So would you be interested in going to the theater to see a show?" he asked him.

"I've never been to one before," Edward admitted, seeming a little hesitant

"You can think about it," Roy said, noting his reluctance. He didn't want to pressure the youth. "There's no hurry."

"I think I'd like to go… What's it like?" the youth inquired. "Going to a movie, I mean."

Mustang explained it to him as he finished his coffee – from the ticket booth to leaving the show. Edward seemed genuinely interested and the more he listened the more relaxed he became. Roy took it as a sign that the youth was opening up to him.

Roy paid their tab at the diner and then the two of them headed over to the theater. Mustang was glad to find a comedy was playing. They purchased tickets and Roy bought Ed popcorn. He was rewarded with a shy smile and a small thank you in return.

The show was good. At first, Ed was obviously a bit nervous being in a crowd of people. But once the piano began playing and the film started rolling, things went smoothly.

Edward had a healthy sense of humor, and one that enjoyed slapstick. In no time he was laughing so hard he was in tears. Even afterward the infectious humor followed them as they walked home. It was easy to get a giggle from Ed with a simple joke. Mustang couldn't help but laugh along with him delighted with how well their day together had turned out.

_

* * *

_

This had been one of the best days of Ed's life. He couldn't remember when he had been this happy or laughed so much. For the first time in years he had real hope for the future. Not only had he gotten his 'birthday wish' that he could stay with Mustang, the man had even agreed to teach him alchemy.

Alchemy! He would be able to really perform alchemy again and continue his research. There was finally a chance that he could make things right and Alphonse would be able to forgive him. And the Roy was a state alchemist – he must know everything that there was to know about alchemy. He couldn't wait for his first lesson!

Of course recalling training under Izumi, he had to be prepared for the worst. Training under a housewife would be nothing compared to alchemy training with a state alchemist. He could only imagine how grueling it would be. Not that it mattered, he would go through hell itself to find a way to restore Alphonse's body. And he had given Roy his word.

When they arrived home, Edward was beginning to consider taking a nap. The day had been a great day. It was more excitement than he was used to and he was a little tired. Tightly gripping the books that Roy had signed out of the library for him though, he considered doing a bit of reading first. He was halfway through the Coelum Philosophorum and he did want to finish it…

Mustang opened the door and Edward followed him inside. He opened his mouth, planning to ask the older man when they would start his alchemy training when the phone rang. Roy sighed and Ed closed his mouth, ears drooping. The Colonel walked over to the phone. Edward took off his coat and boots and followed him into the living room, wondering who was calling.

"Colonel Roy Mustang," the man began after picking up.

"_Colonel,_" a cool female voice responded. Ed could hear the voice clearly with his heightened senses. "_This is Lieutenant Hawkeye._"

Is that who had been phoning all this time? Edward sat down on the floor to examine his books and listened attentively.

"_I'm calling to give you a preliminary report of my findings on Edward Elric's family, sir,_" she said. "_I just returned from Resembool._"

Edward's head snapped up. Roy had sent someone to Resembool? Had she talked to Alphonse? To the Rockbells? Edward's heart started to pound and his palms started to sweat. Had she told them that he was here? What would they think of him?

"Oh," Mustang said. He looked over and smiled at Edward reassuringly. "Right. What did you find, Lieutenant?"

"_Not very much,_" the woman admitted. "_I'll have a complete report for you in the morning. But to summarize: Edward lived with his younger brother Alphonse and his mother Trisha. His father has been absent since shortly after Alphonse was born. The three of them lived together until their mother died of illness. After that, Edward and Alphonse left home for a short period while they learned alchemy from a woman by the name of Izumi Curtis. She lives in Dublith. There is more information on her in my report._"

It was very strange for Ed to hear about his life from an outside perspective. He frowned a little, cocking his head to the side. Mustang glanced at him.

"Very good," Mustang said with a nod. "Is there anything else?"

"_Yes, sir,_" Riza responded. "_Edward vanished at age twelve; he left to do research but never came back."_ She paused for a moment._ " His younger brother, Alphonse also disappeared two months ago and is presumed dead." _

Edward's heart stopped.

"What!" Roy exclaimed shocked. "Why? What happened?"

'_There was a house fire, sir,_" the woman replied calmly.

Edward couldn't breathe. A fire? Al presumed dead?

No.

_No_!

He looked to the Colonel desperately, eyes wide and filling with hot tears. He could fell the panic rising.

"Was Alphonse inside?" Mustang asked concerned. He looked to Ed briefly again, gesturing for him to relax.

"_No one knows for certain,_" Hawkeye said quickly. "_They never found a body._"

No body. Al didn't _have_ a body.

Edward bit his bottom lip. Would anyone have investigated just another one of his father's charred suits of armor? And Al… He couldn't smell smoke. The armor was strong but his soul was sealed with _blood_. Blood would burn especially if it was old and dry. Or if someone had tried to put the fire out with water, it could wash away…

Edward felt the tears streaming down his face but did nothing to stop them. Alphonse was dead? Was he really gone? It couldn't be… It couldn't…

"I see. Is that everything?" Roy was saying.

"_Yes,_" Riza responded. "_Most of the townsfolk were very uncooperative but I learnt what I could._"

"Thank you," Mustang sighed. "I'll see you tomorrow at the office."

"_Yes, sir,_" she said. "_Goodbye._"

"Goodbye," he replied, hanging up the phone.

Mustang turned to face him and Edward closed his eyes tightly. His fists were balled up and his shoulders were tense. He shuddered as a sob racked his body.

He couldn't even look at the man. He who had failed his brother – the only family he had left…

He felt a warm hand on his shoulder and opened his eyes to see Roy crouched down beside him. "It's alright," Mustang said, his own eyes shining with tears. "Alphonse may have just left Resembool to look for you. The fire could be coincidental. They didn't find a body. We don't know yet for sure."

The youth blinked and looked up at the man. Didn't he understand? Why…?

"R-Roy," Edward hiccoughed. "Al d-doesn't _have_ a b-body."

Mustang sucked in a quick breath and looked briefly surprised. Somehow that made Edward feel even more lost. There was no hope for Al. There was nothing… Alphonse was dead.

"I didn't… I mean…" Mustang fumbled as tears started slipping down his face.

Ed looked away. This was his fault. All his fault. Not even Roy seemed to know what to say to him. He let out another sob and covered his face with his hands. A pair of warm arms circled around him and he found himself pulled into a hug, Mustang's warm, familiar scent all around him.

"I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry. I forgot that he didn't have a body there for a second. I'm really, very sorry," Roy said to him sincerely. "But we can't just give up, can we? I mean, he could have survived. It's not impossible."

"H-he wouldn't have b-been able to smell the sm-smoke," Edward mumbled into his chest. "Th-the seal was d-drawn in b-blood. H-he wouldn't… If the f-fire got him… It c-could have… It would have… Alphooonse!" He ended in a wail. "Nooooooo!" The sobs began to repeatedly rack his body as he let his grief over take him.

The warm arms enveloping him grew tighter. He could feel Roy's warm breath in his hair. But nothing would alleviate the pain and anguish burning in his soul facing a lifetime without Alphonse. He would have done anything, suffered anything if he could've made it right between them again. But all chances of that were gone. He would never see or talk to his brother again.

And so he wept for his brother and for himself. For his choices and his mistakes. The floodgates of emotion were wide open and he could not hold back.

Edward didn't know how long it was but he cried until he had no more tears to shed, sobbing dryly clinging to Mustang. He felt empty, lost. It should've been a dream but the reality of the situation weighed on him heavily.

He barely noticed when Mustang scooped him up in his arms, brought him upstairs and laid him on a bed. But when he made a move to leave Ed panicked, grabbing his arm tightly with a small whine. Mustang shushed him softly, lay down next to him, and pulled him close. Though his body relaxed, Edward couldn't help but feel that everything in the world was entirely wrong.

With the loss of Alphonse, Edward felt indescribably alone. All he could do was snuggle up as close to Roy as possible and lie there, shaking with grief until morning came.

_

* * *

_

Roy raised his head and looked at the alarm clock again. Another ten minutes had passed. He lay back down and put his arm over his eyes. Sleeping was impossible.

He couldn't help thinking about what was going to become of Edward. He realized now that he had been assuming that Edward would return to his family and live with them once they had contacted them. But now that was no longer an option what would become of him?

He had no family. Well, Edward theoretically had a father somewhere. But even assuming they could find him, Roy doubted he would be interested in taking in a son turned chimera when he didn't bother to come home for his wife's funeral.

Roy racked his brain to think of an alchemist that might have the skill to return Edward to his normal self. The only person he could think of that might have some knowledge in that area was Shou Tucker but there was just something about the man that Roy didn't trust. And he was not going to subject Edward to another creepy scientist. Still, Roy might be able to get access to his research.

There was always the possibility that he and Edward would be able to find the solution themselves. But just the idea of doing another transmutation on Edward made Roy's heart pound and throat dry.

And who was to say that Edward would want to stay with him anyway? Sure he had said that was what he had wanted at the Hughes' but that was when he was thinking like a slave.

Roy lifted his head and checked the time. Damn! Only seven minutes this time.

He sighed and decided that he might as well get up. Lying in bed thinking in circles was driving him crazy.

Gently, he rolled onto his side and checked on Edward. At the moment the youth was curled up beside him peacefully. It had been a rough night for both of them. Mustang imagined that he must have finally exhausted himself from crying all night. He smiled humourlessly and tucked the covers around Ed before sitting up. Yawning, he got up, deciding to start his day with a nice warm shower.

_

* * *

_

Edward woke to the sound of the shower running. Logically, it occurred to him that Roy must be in the shower but he couldn't help but reach out to see if the man was still there. Mustang was gone so Ed shuffled over into his spot and buried his face in Roy's pillow.

He wished that the night before had just been a terrible nightmare but the hollowness inside him told him otherwise. Though he was awake still felt drained from all night. He let out a low moan. Alphonse was gone. The thought was like a physical blow.

If one thing that Izumi and his failed transmutation had taught him, however, was that he couldn't bring back the dead. It was over. Al was gone. Edward had to live with it. That was just how the world worked.

The sound of the shower cut off and it occurred to Ed that he was thirsty. Reluctantly, he sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. His ears twitched as they caught the sound of Roy's return.

Mustang walked in drying his dark hair with a towel. He was wearing only his pyjama bottoms. Edward flushed and turned his head to look away but he couldn't take his eyes off all of that pale skin and toned muscles.

"Good morning," Roy greeted him kindly. "How are you feeling?"

Ed considered the question. At the moment he wasn't feeling anything. "Alright, I guess," he answered.

"I didn't wake you, did I?" Roy asked as he went to his dresser and began to look for something to wear. "It's still early. You can go back to sleep and get another couple hours rest."

"No, it's okay," Ed responded.

He didn't want to go back to sleep. After the news about Al, he was afraid his nightmares might start again.

"Hmm…" Mustang said. "Well, why don't you get cleaned up and put on something comfortable to wear? Sleeping in our clothes wasn't the best idea. I'll get dressed and go make some breakfast."

"I'm not really hungry," Ed told him slipping out of bed. "Just thirsty."

"It's fine," Roy said. "I'm not that hungry myself. But if we're going to get through this, we need to keep our strength up." He gave the youth a small smile as he left the room and closed the door behind him.

A faint glimmer of hope lit in Edward's heart as he walked down the hallway. Roy had said 'we'. _If we're going to get through this, we need to keep our strength up_. Was he really not alone after all?

The hope he felt turned into a shard that twisted painfully in his heart and fresh tears started to flow. Didn't Roy know that he was an evil filthy beast and didn't deserve kindness? Couldn't he see that Edward would just disappoint him in the end? He wiped his face hastily with his sleeve and headed into the bathroom.

_

* * *

_

Ed came into the kitchen just as Roy was spooning the scrambled eggs he'd made onto the plates with the toast. He smiled to himself to see that the youth was dressed as he himself had been earlier, in pajamas with a towel around his neck. Roy couldn't help but notice that his eyes were swollen and tinged with pink but he let it pass without comment. Nothing but time could heal this wound.

Roy set the plates on the table where there were already glasses and a large jug of orange juice. The two of them sat down. Edward didn't say much and ate less. He had several glasses of juice but only pushed his eggs around his plate and nibbled on his toast occasionally. Roy didn't feel the need to try and force a conversation. Living alone, the sound of the kitchen clock ticking and the occasional hum of the refrigerator usually accompanied his breakfast.

Although Mustang was dressed for work it was still very early. He wondered if perhaps he should stay home with Edward. Even though he couldn't do anything for him, it seemed cruel to just abandon him in his grief. He had already been through so much. Roy's heart just ached for him.

A sharp rap at the front door brought him from his thoughts. It was too early for visitors so he figured that it must be work. He got up and walked to the door, opening it. He was prepared for the sight of someone in military uniform but got something of a surprise.

There was a man on his doorstep. He was short and rather stout looking in his dark coat and hat, a plaid scarf wrapped tightly around his thick neck. His completion had an unhealthy ashen colour and he when he blinked his pale green eyes it reminded Roy of a fish. He wondered for a moment if this man had somehow gotten the wrong house number.

"Good morning, Colonel Mustang," the man simpered.

That voice. Everything clicked into place.

Basan.

Cassius Basan.

Cassius Basan on Roy Mustang's doorstep, standing before him with a sly little smirk.

Without a second thought, Roy raised his hand and snapped his fingers.


	10. Chapter 10

This work is collaboration between myself and phantasy . cat. Neither of us owns Fullmetal Alchemist.

Chapter #10

Without a second thought, Roy raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

Cassius Basan blinked his fish eyes and looked puzzled.

Mustang was puzzled too. Where were the flames? The man standing on his doorstep should be engulfed in a ball of fire, screaming.

He snapped his fingers again.

Then Roy realized he wasn't wearing his gloves. They were in his coat pocket, hanging by the door.

Basan, by this time, had lost interest in Roy and was peering around him into the house. After a moment he smiled unpleasantly. "Precious," he called in a sickly sweet voice. "I see you hiding there. Come to Master."

Every fibre of Roy's being lit with rage. He could hear Edward's soft footsteps behind him as he ran towards them. Without looking he extended his arm and stopped the youth from going any further.

Cassius looked at the arm and pouted. He opened his mouth to make some kind of objection but when he looked up at Roy's face. Roy's fury must have been evident because his eyes widened in fear and surprise.

He quickly turned and scurried down the steps. Once at the bottom he glanced over his shoulder. When he saw that Roy remained where he was, he seemed to regain his nerve.

"Well, Colonel," Basan turned and leered at Mustang with a self-satisfied air. "It appears that you are an art lover after all. I merely came to ask you what had happened to my masterpiece…."

Roy didn't answer. He started walking purposefully down the steps. It was as if his anger was controlling him. He felt an irresistible urge to throttle the man. He wanted to dig his fingers into the flesh of his neck and squeeze every last breath out of him, watch him flail, turn purple and die.

As soon as Basan saw him coming towards him, he let out a high-pitched squeak and turned tail running to his car. He fumbled nervously with the door in his hurry. When he got inside, the car took off quickly down the street. Roy stopped walking and stood for a moment, watching the car drive off into the distance.

His heart was pounding and his hand were clenched into tight fists. He took a couple of deep breaths of the freezing air to calm him self down. He relaxed his hands and turned back to the house.

Edward was still standing at the top of the steps, bare-chested in his pyjama bottoms. His blonde hair and his tail whipped around in the wind. He stood like he was in a trance, looking off in the direction that Basan had driven off. Roy hurried back up the steps.

"It's alright, Edward. He's gone," Roy assured him. "Let's go back inside."

Edward didn't respond but Roy could see that he was visibly shivering. Whether it was from the cold or from the shock of seeing Basan, he couldn't say. He took Edward by the shoulders and leaned down to look him directly in the eyes. "Edward!" he said loudly, giving him a shake.

Slowly Edward's attention focused on Roy.

"We have to go back inside," Mustang told him. He put his arm around Ed's shoulders and guided him back into the house.

The Colonel closed the door and locked it for good measure. He led Edward gently into the living room. His thoughts were racing but Ed was his first priority. The youth was dazed and still shivering.

Mustang sat Ed down on the couch before hurrying upstairs to get him a blanket, The Colonel had seen people go into shock before and he knew the basics. He wrapped the comforter tightly around the youth and then knelt in front of him putting himself directly in his line of sight.

"I'm sorry. I am so sorry," he apologized to Ed. The young man made no response. "I'm going to… I don't know. I'm going to figure this out somehow, okay?"

Edward just blinked at him. Mustang reached up and gave his shoulder a squeeze as he got up. He headed to the phone.

Roy needed to get a hold of Hughes. He wanted to know why that monster had showed up on his doorstep instead of being locked up in a cell somewhere. But first he had to get work out of the way. There was no way he could leave Edward alone for the day and the youth was in no condition for Roy to take anywhere.

Hawkeye being her usual efficient self answered the phone on the second ring. "_Hello, Lieutenant Hawkeye speaking."_

"Good morning, Lieutenant," he said in clipped tones. "This is Colonel Mustang. I won't be in to the office today. I have a bit of an emergency on my hands."

"_Sir?_" she said, sounding concerned.

Roy couldn't help but smile to himself despite the grim circumstances. She was just so crazy about him. "Nothing you need to worry about, Lieutenant."

She paused for a moment, seeming to read his mood over the phone. "_Very well, sir but your project on protocol improvement and the report on the 12th squadron maneuvers are both due by the end of day._"

Damn. Roy ran a hand through his hair in frustration. She was right. They would take at least a couple of hours for him to finish up. He couldn't afford to let his position start slipping now, especially when he didn't know what was happening with this Basan investigation. There were too many vultures waiting for him to screw up.

"Fine. I'll work from home today, Lieutenant," he replied. "Send someone with the files as soon as you can and have them pick them up at three. I'll have them done by then."

"Yes, sir,"

An idea suddenly occurred to Roy. "In fact I'd like to book the rest of the week as holidays," Mustang added quickly. That would definitely give him time to straighten things out with Edward. "Just send everything I need to deal with. Can you manage that?"

"_It won't be a problem_," she responded with confidence. "_Do you need anything else, sir?_"

"No, thank you, Lieutenant. That should be all. Goodbye," he said, hanging up. Yes, She was definitely in love with him.

Roy looked in on Edward. He was still sitting on the couch looking at the floor wrapped in the blanket. He wasn't shivering any more. He took it as a positive sign and dialed the number for Investigations. He had to wait a few minutes to get through but it was Hughes who answered.

"_Investigations. Hughes speaking,_" his friend answered tiredly.

"Maes! What the hell is going on?" Roy fumed. "I got up this morning and found Cassius Basan knocking on my door!"

"_Oh! God! Roy! Where have you been?_" the man on the other end of the line exclaimed. "_I've been trying to call you since the night of Ed's party. The office called just after you left - All our evidence against Cassius Basan, and I mean all of it, has vanished! Gone! No explanation! Nothing!_"

"What? What do you mean?" Mustang asked in disbelief. "Evidence doesn't just get up and walk away!"

"_D__on't you think I know that! This is serious security breach! No one knows what's going on! It's like someone just came in and took everything but there's no damage to the locks… It might have been an alchemist but Basan's been locked up and none of his lackey's even remotely resemble an alchemist,_" Hughes said quickly. "_They had to release him this morning because we've got nothing on him. The only evidence we have left is Edward and …_"

"We're not bringing him into this!" Mustang finished adamantly with a scowl. "Not to mention the fact that we have nothing to tie him to Basan."

"_It could get out of hand in a matter of seconds,_" Hughes agreed. "_There's scientific debate whether making a human chimera is even possible so most likely he end up in a lab somewhere. Anyway, I really have to go, Roy. We're in chaos over here. I don't have time to talk. I'll call you back later. Okay?_"

"Okay," he said.

"_Goodbye,_" Hughes said.

"Goodbye," Mustang replied.

Roy hung up the phone with a sigh. What a morning. His mind was so full he was feeling a headache coming on. He rubbed his temples. He needed to get his thoughts together and figure out what he was going to do.

He went and checked on Edward again but he was still sitting there how Mustang had left him. Roy went to the kitchen and put the kettle on. He figured some tea might help both him and Edward. He felt like something stronger but he needed to keep a clear head. What Hughes had said about the evidence disappearing really bothered him. Maes had suggested alchemy but Roy knew it wasn't that simple. There were a lot of precautions against the misuse of alchemy in the military buildings and Investigations had some of the highest security.

The whistle from the kettle blew. Mustang made a pot of tea and poured it into two mugs. He added a bit of cool water to Ed's so he wouldn't burn himself. He took them into the living room where Ed still sat on the couch.

"Hey!" Roy called softly trying to get Ed's attention. "Hey! Ed! Hey!"

Ed just stayed snuggled in the blanket looking at the floor. Roy put the mugs on the coffee table and pulled it in front of them. He sat down on the couch next to Edward and put an arm around the bundled youth.

He pulled him into a hug and Ed's weight fell against him.

"Edward. Edward. I'm just not sure what to do," Roy said quietly leaning his head against the top of the youth. A triangular ear flicked against his face tickling him. He couldn't help but smile.

They stayed like that for a moment and Roy's mind went back to the puzzle at hand.

There were only two ways that could have been used to steal the evidence. One possibility was that it was an inside job. The other was if an alchemist had broken in to the Investigation evidence room and managed to thwart all of the protection arrays and booby traps. Though the alchemist had to be some kind of genius with some method of detecting them. It seemed unlikely.

But the other possibility was just as absurd. Roy couldn't imagine for the life of him who in the military would want to put their career at risk to help some sick and demented third-rate alchemist, like Basan. What would their motive possibly be? Money? He didn't think Basan had that much. To stop him from gaining favour in the military? There had to be easier ways.

Nothing made sense.

Roy was completely lost in thought so he jumped when a pair of arms slipped around his waist.

He pulled back from the blond hair and kitty ears.

"Edward…" he started with a sigh, body relaxing.

"Please…" the youth began in a tiny voice. "Please, don't leave me."

Mustang hugged Ed back. "I won't. I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

"He's going to come back. He's going to take me," Edward said, a rising panic in his voice.

"I won't let him," Roy said firmly. "I won't. I'll kill him with my bare hands before I let that happen."

Ed's grip on him tightened and he shuffled around beneath the blanket. He moved against Roy and buried his face into the crook of Roy's neck, nose finding the collar of the man's uniform and nuzzling against warm skin. Mustang assumed that he was just seeking physical comfort and so he allowed it. Until a rough tongue licked at his throat and soft lips began to suck gently.

"Whoa!" he said, pulling away from Ed. "Stop that!"

"Please…" Ed begged. "Please… I want you. Be my Master? Please?"

So now Mustang found that he was back at square one with Edward. This was the last thing that either one of them needed. He tried to move back, to make more room between them, but Ed followed, grabbing onto the front of his uniform. He looked lost, desperate, pleading and Roy's expression softened. He wasn't sure what he should do. Ed was so fragile.

"Edward…" he began but he didn't know what else to say.

"Please…" Ed responded.

The youth must have realized Mustang wasn't retreating. His grip on the uniform jacket loosened. For one brief moment Roy thought he was off the hook but he was wrong. Ed curled up closer to him and the next think he knew, his jacket and shirt were both undone and Edward was running his hands over his chest.

Mustang knew he should be stopping Ed. But he didn't want to push the youth any further – everything was crashing down around him. Alphonse was dead. Basan just showed up to take him back. Roy could understand Ed's need for reassurance and wanting to lose himself in the moment. Roy's own mind was reeling from the dramatic turn of events. It was unbelievably tempting to just indulge Ed since his body was telling him that the situation was perfect, thank you very much, and to keep up the good work.

Ed leaned it close to nip gently at Mustang's jaw line, sliding his leg over so the he was straddling the man. With a wonderfully precise roll of his hip, he rubbed up pleasantly against Roy. The Colonel took in a sharp breath, automatically grabbing hold of Edward's hips.

"Ed…" he began again.

There was a sudden, sharp knock on the door and Edward slipped out of his lap and was gone. The movement was so fast and liquid that he may as well have teleported. Mustang was suddenly left with only a warm blanket, arms empty and the lower half of his body wanting Ed back.

Heaving a sigh he stood up and strode over to the front door. As a precaution he grabbed his gloves out of his jacket pocket on his way by. He didn't think Basan was a big enough to fool to come back but he wasn't taking that chance. He unlocked the door and opened it. The cold wind hit Roy's bare chest and helped cool him off, clearing his head a bit.

Havoc smiled at him with a cigarette dangling from his lips and his arms full of files. "Good morning, Colonel," he said cheerfully. "Hawkeye told me to drop these off."

"Thanks," Mustang answered unenthusiastically. He took the stack from his subordinate with a bit of shuffling. It looked like he had his work cut out for him.

"Okay then I'll be back at three this afternoon" Havoc said.

"Better make it three thirty," Roy replied grimly.

"Got it!" Havoc smiled and gave him a sharp salute. "See you then, sir."

Mustang nodded as he backed into the house. "Goodbye Havoc," he said.

He shut the door with his foot. The papers shifted around in his arms. He carried them into the living room and set them in an armchair. There was quite a pile, he would have to start on them right away to get them finished and out of the way. He picked up his tea from the coffee table and had a sip but first things first. He better go find Edward and make sure he was okay.

Roy put his tea down and headed upstairs. He decided to check his own bedroom first. He thought Ed might be hiding under his bed but when he walked in he could clearly see a large form underneath the blankets on his side of the bed. He had to smile. It was a pretty obvious hiding spot.

"Edward," he said walking over to the side of the bed. "Edward, its okay. It was only Havoc delivering some papers for me."

The lump on the bed made no move.

"Edward," Roy repeated.

He took a hold of the blankets and lifted them. There was an angry growl and a clawed hand lashed out viciously, just missing him. Roy jumped back in alarm and surprise dropping the covers. "Edward!" he shouted.

The lump under the blankets moved forward until the blond head appeared from beneath them. Edward looked up at Roy. His ears were back and there was a strange light in his golden eyes.

"Look, Edward. It's okay. One of my men just dropped off some paperwork for me," Mustang repeated. "Are you alright?"

The youth's ears were still folded back but he seemed to relax. "Paperwork?"

"Yes. Havoc's gone now," Roy said. "I'm sorry if he startled you."

Ed crawled out from under the blankets and sat on the edge of the bed. He looked up at the Colonel almost as though her were expecting something. Mustang remembered how intimate they'd been getting before so he just stayed standing.

"Well, I have until three thirty to get those papers done so I should probably go and get started," Mustang said. "I'll be downstairs if you need me."

He turned and then he heard Ed scrambling off the bed followed by a sharp tug on his shirt from behind.

"No! Please!" Edward began sharply. "I… Can't we…"

Roy faced the youth who let go of his clothes and looked up at him desperately.

"Look, I have to get that work done," the man explained. "It's important. We'll discuss the situation later."

"Please, I want…" Ed pleaded. "I want to be yours! I'll be a good boy! I promise!"

Mustang sighed. He was trying to be reasonable but it was increasing obvious that he couldn't skirt around the issue. "I'm not…" he searched for the words to try and make the youth understand. "You don't have to be good. You don't belong to anyone. You're free, Edward. You don't need a master. And for me to have sex with you… It just isn't right. You're hurt and-"

"I _want_ to!" Edward exclaimed emphatically. His claws clutching at his jacket. "I want to belong to you! Then Cassius can't have me! Please!"

"No," Roy said. "It's not a good idea."

"It is! It is!" Ed argued. "I want this! I want _you_! I need you! Please! Help me!"

Mustang felt cornered. "I wouldn't be helping you. Look, Edward-"

"I'll do whatever you want! Even if it's weird!" the youth pleaded desperately. The tips of his claw made their way through the man's shirt. "No matter what! Just- Please! Please, I want you! I need you!"

"Just stop. Just for a second," Roy said, holding up a hand. "Listen-"

"Do you want me to beg?" Ed asked, voice shrill as he dropped to his knees. "Because I'll do it! I'll do anything – whatever you want! Please! Please! Fuck me! Please! I want it!"

"Stop it!" Mustang said, grabbing the youth by his upper arm and pulling him back up to his feet.

He let out a hiss and grabbed the front of his shirt. Mustang winced as sharp claws pierced the fabric and scratched his skin but he was too focused to really care.

"Anything! I'll do it! I swear! Just tell me!" Edward pleaded. He tried to lean against Roy who did his best to hold the youth at arm's length.

"Edward! Stop it!" Roy repeated. He could feel blood trickling down his sides as he tried to control Ed.

But that just made the youth fight harder, twisting and turning in his grip all the while begging anxiously. "Just please claim me! Fuck me! I want to belong to you! I'll do anything! Please!"

The state Edward was in brought back all of those horrible images from Basan's films flooding back into Roy's mind. The nightmare the youth had lived through in the last four years was unthinkable. Why wouldn't he fight tooth and nail not to go back?

"Just tell me what you want me to do! Help me!" Ed pleaded his voice filling with desperation.

Hot tears sprang into Mustang's eyes. "Stop it!"

"Precious will be a good boy! Precious will be a good boy!" Edward screamed at him. He had passed his breaking point and he seemed to gain inhuman strength as he struggled in Roy's grip. His breath started coming quick and shallow.

Words and reason wouldn't reach Ed in this state of hysteria. Why would it? Hadn't Roy promised him in the office that day he would never had to see Basan again? He had failed Edward. He didn't protect him. But he had to help him now no matter what it cost him.

"Enough!" Mustang shouted back.

He used all of his strength and the advantage of his weight and size to push Ed down onto the bed and quickly pinned him there. Tears were flowing down his face and there was a stabbing pain in his chest. It felt like his heart was actually breaking to pieces in his chest. He couldn't breathe. Edward was still shrieking though Roy was past hearing the words. He could feel Edward panic underneath him, pushing and fighting against him but Roy didn't budge. He just let Ed's fear and fury break over him.

"Okay...Alright..."

Gradually as Edward wore himself out Roy could hear a soothing voice speaking.

"Yes...I'll do it..."

It seemed to calming Edward down. He had stopped begging and pleading. He wasn't fighting desperately against him anymore. Roy wondered about the voice for a moment before he realized it was his own. "Yes...Its okay. .."

Edward went still.

Roy pushed himself up to look at the youth. He was looking up at him with a sudden hopeful expression. It made Mustang's stomach do an uncomfortable flip.

"Okay," he said, voice wavering. "Okay. I'll do it."

Roy rolled off of Edward and lay on his back. He threw an arm over his eyes. What was he saying? What was he doing? The tears wouldn't stop coming.

He felt Edward moving on the bed next to him. He uncovered his eyes to see Edward trying to get undressed. Roy extended on arm and put it on Edward's arm to stop him.

"No," Roy said flatly. "Leave your clothes on."

Ed looked at him doubtfully. "But you said you would..."

Roy sat up on the bed and wiped his eye with the sleeve of his jacket. "I told you I have a lot of work to get done."

Edward hung his head dejected. "Yes, Master," he said quietly.

Roy winced. "Don't call me Master," he replied. He wiped the last of the tears away. "I'll be your Master for the time being but I want you to call me Roy. Do you understand?"

Edward nodded his head mutely with his face still hidden from view. Roy wondered if he was doing the right thing but he had to get work out of the way before he could concentrate on the youth. He sighed and looked down at himself. His uniform jacket and shirt were open and ripped, his abdomen was covered in scratches and drying blood.

He stood up and took them off . He tossed them into the laundry hamper. Then he took off his uniform pants and added them to the pile. He made a point of ignoring Edward still sitting on the bed as he got a pair of pajama bottoms out of his dresser and pulled them on. He grabbed a navy T-shirt but didn't put it on. He decided he'd better clean himself up first.

He walked into the bathroom. He set the T-shirt on the counter and started the water running in the sink. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and smiled wryly at himself. He was a mess. He splashed cold water on his face and rubbed it roughly through his hair. It felt refreshing. He looked at himself again. Much better.

The bathroom door opened slowly and Edward slipped inside. Roy looked at him but when their eyes met Edward quickly looked at the floor. Roy took a washcloth ran it under the tap and gently started washing the blood off of his abdomen. A few of the gashes were deeper and he didn't want them to start bleeding again. He wiped around them carefully.

"I...I'm sorry...Roy," Edward apologized meekly. He had the end of his tail in his hands and was playing with it nervously.

"For what?" Mustang asked absent-mindedly.

"P-Precious was a b-bad boy. Precious h-hurt you..." the youth stuttered.

Roy stopped what he was doing. "Edward," he stated firmly but kindly. "Your name is Edward."

"E-Edward.." the young man started again.

Mustang put his hand gently on one of Edward's shoulders. "Look at me," he said.

Edward hesitantly looked up at him through his long bangs gripping the end of his tail tightly.

"You didn't do anything wrong," Roy told him. "You just got upset. I understand that. I was upset too. I'm not hurt. I'm just cleaning up. I've had worse cuts shaving. You have nothing to be sorry for. Do you understand?"

Ed nodded his head uncertainly.

Mustang rinsed out the washcloth and turned off the tap. He grabbed the T-shirt and pulled it over his head. He looked at himself in the mirror and ran his hand through his hair to straighten it out.

Edward slid next to him and ducked his head under Roy's elbow, lifting his arm and pushing it over him. His hand fell on the top of Ed's head. The youth wrapped his arms around Mustang and hugged him tightly.

Roy smiled and ran his hand over the soft golden ears. They flicked back into place. He wrapped his arms around Ed and lowered his cheek on top of his head.

"It's going to be okay," he consoled him.

Roy's eyes met his own in the bathroom mirror. How is going to be okay? Will it be okay after you've fucked him? Will that make everything better?

He shook his head to clear it. He couldn't think about that now. He'd deal with it later when he could just concentrate on Edward alone.

Suddenly uncomfortable with the youth hugging him, Mustang detached himself and pushed back from Ed. He looked down at him. "Okay. Time for me to do some work," he told him.

Roy headed downstairs with Edward in his wake. He went into the living room and began gathering the papers he'd left in the armchair.

"I made tea," he said with a nod at the coffee table with the two mugs. "You should drink it before it gets cold."

He took the piles of papers in his arms to his office. Edward followed him. He went back to get his cup of tea. And the youth followed him back. Roy picked up both cups of tea and handed Edward one.

Edward took it

"Drink it. It will make you feel better," Roy told him taking a sip of his own.

The youth copied him taking a tentative sip.

Roy turned around and headed back into his study with Edward close behind him. He followed Roy when he went behind his desk and sat in the chair. Roy looked at him.

"Why don't you just go sit over there?" he suggested with a nod to the couch. "I'm not going anywhere."

Edward lowered his head and looked at the floor without moving. Roy could see tears welling up in his eyes.

"Well, sit on the floor beside me then," Roy told him.

Obediently Edward sat down.

As he arranged his papers, Roy could feel the youth working his way between the chair and the desk to be as close to him as possible. He sighed and did his best to ignore Edward as he began his work.

Once he got started the time passed quickly. Whenever Roy thought about taking a break, he would look up at the clock or feel the warmth of Ed's body next to his leg and he would renew his efforts

Finally, he managed to finish up. It was far from perfect but under the circumstances he was pretty proud of himself. He leaned back and stretched to get the kinks out of his back and saw a pair of large yellow feline eyes staring at him from under the desk.

He smiled and pushed back his chair.

"I'm all finished," he told Ed, leaning down to look him. "Why don't you come out of there and we'll get something to eat.

For a moment Roy didn't think the youth was going to comply, but then he crawled out. Roy got to his feet and stretched again.

"Its hard to believe I got it done and with time to spare," he bragged.

It was ten after three. Havoc wouldn't come by for at least another twenty minutes. But Roy wanted to be prepared for his arrival. He gathered arranged all of the paperwork and gathered it up taking it into the living room so he could hand it over when he got there.

Ed padded quietly along behind him.

Then Roy went to the kitchen. He didn't feel like cooking so he cut some generous slices of bread, cheese and cold-cuts and put them on a plate for the two of them to share. He put a pot of coffee on the stove for himself and got a glass of juice for Edward.

The youth just watched him wordlessly from the corner. When he finished, Roy sat down motioning Ed to do the same.

Ed obeyed him, still watching.

"Let's eat," Roy said.

The youth waited carefully for Roy to start eating first and then copied him Roy wasn't sure why Ed was being so guarded but he decided to assume it was from the shock he had earlier and ignored it.

When they were done, Roy put the dishes in the sink and poured himself a coffee. He was walking into the living room with it when there was a knock at the door. Roy saw a blurred motion behind him as Edward vanished from sight and then went to answer it.

It was Havoc. Roy turned his work over to him, they exchanged a few pleasantries and he left. Roy shut the door and went back to the living room.

He walked into the room. From seemly out of no where Ed appeared and latched onto him, his tail lashing behind him. He buried his face into Roy's shirt and made a small noise.

Standing there with the warmth of Edward's body pressed against his, the gravity of the situation hit Roy hard. He had just arranged to spend a week alone with Edward, and he had promised to sleep with him.

Roy realized it may not have been the best decision he ever made.


End file.
